Old World, New World
by Frostbreaker
Summary: Every once in awhile, there are things that happen...things we can't explain, things that make no sense. In the moment it happens, we have a choice to either embrace it, or deny it. When it becomes your reality, how do you cope? Rated T for strong language, violence, use of alcohol and other substances, and suggestive sexual content.
1. Ch 1: A Day in the Life

**A/N: Brand new story here, people. As with the others, please R&R and let me know what you thought.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with any of the Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

Chapter 1: A Day in the Life

Another boring day at work, another rent payment. Yay.

As I left the office building, _she _ran out to meet me...the miss queen bitch of the universe...at least in my mind.

"Daniel! Daniel, wait up!" she shouted. Had I not hated her with every fiber of my being, I might have been a gentleman and stopped.

That wasn't me today.

I kept walking until I felt her hand on my arm, which caused me to stop. I let out a little growl and turned to look at her, my green eyes shining in the sun. "What do you want, Kristen? Unless the world is coming to an end, we don't have anything to talk about. Wait, we still wouldn't have anything to talk about."

She huffed and released my arm. "Are you still going to hold that against me? Seriously? It's been almost a year."

I glared at her and dropped my bag. "Yeah, I'm going to hold it against you. You set up that party Tina went to, and as a matter of fact, you were fucking _there_ with her!"

"Hey, _you_ cheated on _her_!" the redhead – no scratch that, _ginger_ – shouted.

I ground my teeth and growled out, "Yeah, _once_...and it was because she stopped responding to my texts and calls for over a week. I don't know what world you come from, but when I get purposefully ignored, that constitutes as a breakup in my book...and I know damn well she didn't lose her phone or anything, because she posts on facebook and shit all the damn time. That and the fact she cheated on me _multiple_ times." Before she could speak again, I stepped forward, using the foot of height I had on her to my advantage. "No, shut the fuck up. I'm not going to play into the whole feminist society bullshit that if a woman cheats, it's because she's being neglected...where if a man cheats, it's because he's a horny shitbag that doesn't appreciate what he has. No, fuck that...it's backwards in this case. I was away on business for only a month and she has a gangbang with six dudes. So fuck you, fuck her, and fuck anyone that thinks like you. Both of your gene pools need to be sterilized so that your decrepit spawn can never plague the Earth. Good day, ma'am." Before she could say anything more, I picked up my bag, hopped in my van, and drove away.

* * *

I was a repair technician for computers, refrigerators, air conditioners, heating units, and even tv's. It was mindless work most of the time, but it kept me busy and paid my bills very well, along with allowing me to put money away for a retirement fund.

And here I always wanted to be a fireman.

Still, when I got home, things were always winding down so I could chill out for whatever jobs I would have the next day. My career choice didn't leave much room for any type of relationship or anything, but at the moment I could care less. If you caught any of that conversation between me and that dumb bitch of a redhead, you know why. Oh...of course you did, my bad.

Anyway, I took a quick shower and picked up my house before turning on my stereo system with Pandora and turning on my computer. You see, I had a bit of a guilty pleasure...and it was called DigiWorld. It was a fan-made social networking game sort of thing that allowed you to be a person in the digital world of Digimon. Yes I know it's kinda weird for a twenty-six year old guy to be playing around with kid games and such, but fuck you. I find it fun and it keeps me from stabbing people, so all's well.

Basically the layout of the site was unlike anything I'd seen before. You could choose to be either a tamer _or_ a digimon partner. It was a unique spin to the universe of digimon, and I have to say that so far, it's worked pretty well. I had chosen to be a tamer, and not a week after I had created an account, a Relemon had chosen to be my partner digimon. The thing that I found most odd was that whoever this person was, they fully immersed themselves in it. Now I had always made fun of those role-playing gamers who got like completely into the game, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't found it to be a lot of fun. So after the first week or so of this, I stopped thinking of Relemon as a person playing a character.

Instead, it was an actual digimon to me.

The game was much more than just social networking of course, and you could wander with your partner and battle AI controlled digimon to make your digimon partner stronger. I did this for quite some time, and at startling speed, Relemon had digivolved to become a Viximon. Even now I remember thinking about how stupid I must have seemed at the moment, clapping my hands in excitement in the quiet of my home because of this, but I didn't care.

Like I said, it keeps me from stabbing people.

So anyway, today was like most days for me. Viximon and I were walking around the wilds of the digital world fighting rogue digimon here and there, while I allowed her to absorb the leftover data to become stronger. By what her "level" gauge read, she should be digivolving again anytime now, and I was honestly very excited again. After all, Renamon was my favorite digimon. Now I know that some of the more distasteful people out there are all like, "Dude, that fox is so hot! I'd bang the shit out of her!" Well to those people, I pity them. First of all, there is nothing saying that _all_ Renamon were female. Secondly, it's a cartoon. Seriously...even if I _were_ into that, it's not like it _could_ ever happen. It's just one of those things that are separated by reality and fantasy. No, instead I was excited because it was a fighting fox with awesome markings and powerful muscles. I mean, there were all sorts of stories of Renamon being able to move faster than eighty miles per hour, jump over buildings as easy as if they were ant hills, and yet be quiet enough to sneak up and assassinate nearly any digimon it needed to.

Sure, most of these were from fan-fictions I'd caught here and there, but it was interesting nonetheless.

Anyhow, we were in the middle of a battle right now with a rogue Agumon. The small dinosaur-like being was fighting valiantly, but even with being a level above Viximon, my card skills and Viximon's fighting prowess won out in the end, though Viximon was very tired.

Even with text coming up on the screen, I envisioned Viximon's voice in my head. Now I know I just said that no digimon _had_ to be male or female, but it was pretty clear to me that the person playing the Viximon was a woman...either that or a really good male actor. Does that make me gay? I don't know...random thought.

"Daniel, thank you for that. Had it not been for you, I might not have-" Viximon began to say, before being interrupted as its body began to glow a bright white.

I watched the screen in awe as her form began to change, becoming much taller and more defined. The shape alone no longer looked like a little plush fox stuffed animal, it was instead very tall, humanoid, and...curvy? Okay...I now know for a fact that a dude must have designed this game. The hips of the digimon were wider than the rest of the torso, the thighs were strong and powerful, and it had two large and deadly clawed hands with three fingers each. There were lavender markings under the eyes, as well as on the thighs, and the only pieces of clothing it wore were two cloth forearm pieces, also lavender with the yin and yang symbol on it. The eyes were not white like "normal" eyes would be, instead they were solid black with blue irises and pupils.

I couldn't stop staring at the Renamon. I mean, I'd heard a lot about them, but it was entirely different to actually see one on the screen, moving. See, the game engine allowed for many things, most notably the little subtle movements that a real living thing does, such as ear twitches, the soft rise and fall of the chest from breathing, as well as shifting posture and even twiddling fingers in nervousness. The thing was literally limitless, and I honestly didn't know how it worked.

All I know is that it looked amazing in high definition.

Now I know what most of you are thinking. You're thinking, "Dude, you're such a loser. It's just a game." No, good sir, it's not _just_ a game. A perfect reason why would be what happened next.

Renamon were known for their very reserved personalities and were often aloof to strangers, but were utterly devoted to their tamers. Renamon looked directly at the screen – right at me – and gave the smallest of smiles.

"Thank you, Daniel. It's because of you that I've been able to reach this level." she said (texted).

I typed back, "You're very welcome, Renamon. I wasn't the one actually fighting though, so don't sell yourself short."

Renamon nodded and gave the smallest of grins again. "True. All the same, thank you." I then saw the character sigh and close its eyes. "I wish I could thank you in person, but it appears that cannot be. After all, I am just a digimon and I'm stuck in the digital world."

This would be the first time that my partner had slightly broken character, referring to me – the real me. I decided to play along, so I typed back, "If you one day find a way, I'm always available."

Renamon nodded with a stoic expression. "Perhaps soon there will be a way."

"Perhaps." I typed back. "Well, it's late so I'm going to go ahead and hit the hay."

As per the mechanics of the game, I went to my "house" and lay down on my bed to "sleep". As I did so, I noticed Renamon taking a place in the corner of the room to watch over me – or my avatar anyway – and I couldn't help but smile.

She then looked away from my avatar and back to the real me again. "Sleep well, Daniel."

I then hit the logoff button and stood up, allowing my computer to go into sleep mode. "Weird."

I changed into my pajamas and lay down on my bed, an honest smile on my face. Today hadn't been too bad, all things considered. I mean sure, that bitch Kristen had tried to start shit with me, but work had been easy and well-paying – as usual – and the DigiWorld had been fun too. So, I lay my head on my pillow and promptly fell asleep, enjoying the fact that tomorrow would be a day off.

**3rd Person PoV**

As Daniel fell asleep, he failed to notice his computer had awakened itself, and was running a strange string of different codes and runtimes. Small bits of electricity began sparking around it, but this was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Outside, things were far more dire. Unknown to the citizens of the town of Shawnee Mission, a large grid had formed around the entirety of Daniel's house.

Energy began to gather and a faint humming accompanied it, and then with a bright flash of light, the entire house vanished off the face of the Earth.


	2. Ch 2: A Breath of Fresh Life

**A/N: Hey everyone! Frostbreaker here with chapter number two for this soon-to-be-awesome story! As always, please R&R and let me know what you think.**

**To Flamesinger599 – Why thank you, good sir. Enjoy.**

**To spacecowboy2011 – Well things are going to take a bit to build up. Unlike my other stories, the characters aren't just going to jump into a relationship with each other. You'll find that Daniel is different in a lot of ways to me as well as Drew...and yet similar. Do enjoy.**

**To Shadow Cloud 5283 – I'm just awesome like that. Besides, rather than stop writing altogether when I get writer's block, I instead just write another story. Keeps things fresh that way and also provides an endless stream of entertainment for my fans. Read and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with any of the Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners.  
**

* * *

Chapter 2: A Breath of Fresh Life

For the first time in almost two weeks, I was allowed to have the sun wake me up. It was an honestly refreshing feeling...until I heard seagulls.

_'What the fuck? I don't live anywhere _near_ the ocean. That's like a thousand miles away!"_

I jumped out of bed with my eyes wide and grabbed my combat knife from my dresser, brandishing it and standing up straight. Sure, I'm paranoid, but it's saved my life a few times already, so don't judge me.

Anyway, I quickly made my way downstairs after throwing on some clothes. Odd art on my wall? Check. Kitchen appliances in their places? Check. Furniture all there? Check. Freaking the fuck out? Double check.

That was nothing compared to what happened as soon as I set foot outside my door though.

I opened my door with my knife still brandished, and stepped down, looking all around and finding lots of things out of the ordinary. First of all, I was on a beach that bordered a fucking forest. Secondly, I was no longer in anything even remotely looking like Kansas (yeah yeah, make your fucking jokes about how I'm not in Kansas anymore. Get it out of your system). Lastly, I noticed a very odd feeling that I was being watched. Of course, all this caused me to not watch where I was walking, and I promptly fell when the ground dropped out and ended up with a mouthful of sand.

I spat out the sand as best I could and then did probably the dumbest thing I could do at that point – I yelled for help. "Hello? Is anyone out there?" Say what you want because I know it was stupid as fuck to do, but I was afraid and flipping shit, so I at least wanted to know that I wasn't alone. If I saw a human, I'd be okay...but so far all I got was an ever-increasing feeling that something was watching me, but not making itself known. This in turn just caused me to freak out even more, so I quickly scrambled back up to my house, went inside, and locked all the doors and windows. I then sat in the fetal position next to my bed, rocking back and forth. "You're just trippin', Dan. No big deal. I mean sure, those few drops you took last night are making a hell of a comeback, but it's okay. I'll just stay here and close my eyes, and nothing can hurt me." It was then that I heard a strong knocking on the door...but it sounded more like a pounding to be honest. I just shut my eyes tightly and pulled the curtain on my window shut. "It's nothing, Dan. You're safe. Nothing can hurt you...you're safe. You're just freaking the fuck out right now because that cumblasting cockmonster Jules gave you shit that was _way_ too strong, but it's okay. You're just going to sit here and ride it out. It'll all be over soon and you'll be back in your shitty town with your shitty van and everything will be back to normal..."

I kept repeating all this out loud to myself, as if saying it would make it real...but in the back of my mind I knew this was _not_ a freakout caused by dropping acid. I've _had_ a bad trip...and it's never been like this before. And so, the more and more I kept repeating things to myself, the less and less I started to believe them.

The knocking had stopped, but this was followed by the almost undetectable sound of something landing on the roof, followed by the soft sound of _something_ walking over it towards my window. A light tapping was then heard from the window, followed by another shock.

"Daniel? Daniel, please let me in! We have a situation!" shouted a feminine voice that I couldn't place.

I cowered in the corner of my room with my knife I my hand. "W-who are you? What do you want"

I heard a growl issued from whatever was outside. "Ugh, we don't have time for this. Get away from the window."

"I am..." I responded.

No sooner had I said that then a large figure came crashing through my window, causing shards of glass to go everywhere, thankfully none of them hitting me though. What I saw in front of me once I opened my eyes defied all reasoning.

It was...her.

"Renamon?" I squeaked out. "N-no, this isn't possible...this isn't happening! This _can't_ be happening! I wanna wake up! This is a dream, I'm just freaking out, this isn't real. This is-"

I was interrupted by a slap to my face, and I found myself looking up at a very annoyed humanoid fox. "Get a hold of yourself, Daniel." She then kneeled down and grabbed my hand, placing it on her face. "I'm _real_, Daniel...this is all real and it's all happening. This is _not_ a dream, or a freakout or whatever you wish to call it."

I brought my hand up and felt my face, wincing in pain as it came across three large scratches. I then glared at the kitsune. "You didn't have to scratch me, you know. A violent shake would have done the trick."

She shrugged and looked around before grabbing a shirt off my bedroom floor and throwing it to me with a smirk. "A slap is more fun for me, though."

As I placed the white shirt against my cheek, I glared at her again. "Of _course_ you just _had_ to grab a white shirt...even though there's a black one on my bed."

Renamon sat down on the edge of my bed, crossing her legs and letting a small smile show. "You might be able to make a design out of it. Get creative."

I rolled my eyes and stood up, still holding the shirt to my face. "These are going to leave scars, you know."

She nodded. "Yes, they will. Perhaps next time when I try to get your attention, you'll listen to me."

I huffed and sat down a ways away from her, but still on my bed. "I thought Renamon were supposed to be loyal and all that."

"To our tamers, yes." she responded. "You are no longer my tamer since coming here."

I furrowed my brows as I lay back against my bed, Renamon on my left. "So wait, you're the same Renamon from that game I was playing?"

"I'd prefer if you didn't refer to my life as a game, Daniel." she retorted coldly.

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry...I didn't mean it like that. I mean...I thought you were just a sprite in a computer game with some person playing as you. I didn't know, I'm sorry."

She snorted I annoyance. "Well now you know, so please try and be more considerate or I'll slash your other cheek too."

"Jesus...you're pretty violent." I remarked with a smirk.

She shrugged and turned around to face me. "I'm a digimon Daniel, I fight for a living. Violence comes with the territory." She then reached in the sleeve of one of her forearm guards and pulled out a strange device. "This is for you, by the way."

The little electronic was just small enough to fit in my hand. There were three buttons and a sort of card-swipe thing up top, along with a strap that was connected to the whole device with a clip on it. I held it up and eyed it curiously. "It's a digivice, Daniel. Come on, I figured you'd know enough about this world to at least know what it was."

As I looked at it, I realized she was right. I'd obviously just never seen it in person before, but that's what it was. I shrugged. "Well you said I'm not a tamer anymore though, so why do I need this?"

She then placed her paw upon the device as well, and a flash of light issued from it. The device started to vibrate ever so softly, and I could feel a strange sensation throughout my entire arm. "TAMER BONDING PROTOCOL: ACTIVATED. PLEASE STAND BY." The device's robotic voice startled me a little, but for some reason I couldn't pull away. Something held me in place, but it didn't hurt, so I just waited. "TAMER: DANIEL RASZHAR. PARTNER: RENAMON...INTEGRATION OF BONDING PROCESS COMPLETE. PLEASE WAIT FOR DNA BONDING."It was then that I felt a little pinch on the palm of my hand, and I saw Renamon wince as well. "DNA BONDING OF TAMER AND PARTNER COMPLETE. RETURNING TO STANDBY MODE." The device then shut off, and I was able to move my hand again.

I pulled my hand away and flexed it a few times, noticing the small red mark on my palm. "What the hell just happened?"

For the first time, Renamon showed a genuine smile as she clasped my shoulder gently. "You're a tamer again...and I'm your partner, Daniel." She then released me and took a knee. "As your partner, it is my job to protect you at all costs, even with my own life if the need arises."

I tapped her shoulder and motioned for her to stand up, and for the first time I noticed that she was shorter than me by nearly a foot. I was six feet tall of course, so I figured she had to be around five foot two inches or something. I had always pictured her being taller, but then again in the tv show, she was being compared to young children, so I guess it made sense. I then placed my own hand on her shoulder with a smile. "I appreciate your loyalty, Renamon, but as your tamer I must ask that you don't needlessly put yourself in harm's way, okay?"

She nodded slowly. "Very well."

I then looked out the window, noticing that the sun was already heading towards the horizon. "Man...I like _just_ went to sleep too. Oh well, I'd rather get on a good sleep schedule, so at least for tonight, we're hanging out here." I then looked over at my clock and noticed it was still on. "Huh...that's weird. How do I still have electricity?" I shook my head. "Whatever. I don't know about you, but I'm starved. Wanna join me for dinner?"

Renamon nodded slowly again. "Thank you, Daniel."

As we entered the kitchen, I was surprised – albeit pleased – that everything still worked. I opened the fridge and pulled out a steak that I had thawed in the fridge, as well as some potatoes to make mash. I then looked curiously at Renamon. "I forgot to ask, what exactly do you eat?"

She shrugged. "Technically, I am able to eat anything you can. I _prefer_ meat, however."

I raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Digimon are digital entities, right?" She nodded. "How exactly do you _get_ meat then? Once you defeat a digimon, it turns into data."

She snorted a laugh at my ignorance. "Digimon are not the _only_ beings here, Daniel. There are 'normal' animals as well."

I facepalmed and groaned. "Of course there are. Forgive me for looking like an idiot over, and over, and over again."

Renamon shrugged lightly and smiled very softly. "Simply because you are my tamer, I'll let it slide."

"So," I started with a nod, "how do you like your steak done?"

* * *

An hour after eating we were still siting at my kitchen table talking. As I expected, Renamon preferred her meat rare, which was fine because I did as well. She was surprisingly intelligent – not that I thought she was stupid or anything – and witty as well. I had always noticed in the television shows that the partner digimon always seemed to show similar traits to their tamer, and while up until recently I had only interfaced with her from a computer screen, I did notice that her and I had a lot in common as far as personalities. Minus the violence of course...fucking scars on my cheek. Still, she was quick-witted and playful when she loosened up, yet very strong-willed and stubborn...which may not have been a good thing _all _of the time, but hey, I'm the same way.

As the day began to wind down and night finally fell upon us, I set the house alarm and locked all the doors and windows, as well as drew all the shades. As we made our way to my bedroom, I couldn't help but notice how wary the fox was of everything, constantly darting her eyes and ears around, looking and listening for anything out of the ordinary. I stopped on the stairs, causing her to run in to me.

"S-sorry, Daniel." she muttered.

I rolled my eyes. "Look, things might be different out here compared to where I'm from, but I still have an alarm system in this house that works and is _really_ loud. If anything tries to get in any of the windows or doors, we'll know about it...and obviously if something tries to come through the wall, you'd hear it."

She shook her head as we started walking again. "Sorry, Daniel. I'm just used to having to keep constantly alert is all."

I nodded. "And you can be. Something tells me that you're a very light sleeper, so you'll still be able to be alert even while sleeping. Good thing for you is that I don't snore or move when I'm sleeping, so the only thing you have to worry about waking you is maybe my coffee machine in the morning."

"Coffee machine?" she asked curiously.

I chuckled and nodded as I held my bedroom door open for her to enter. "Coffee is a godsend. My coffee machine automatically makes coffee for me at the same time every day, so that by the time I get downstairs, I just have to pour a cup and drink it. No waiting involved." I then sighed and shook my head. "I figured that when the sun touched the horizon it was about 18:00, so I reset the clock on the machine to match that. I just hope that was accurate enough."

"Don't you need to set your alarm clock as well?" she asked, standing in the middle of the room as I removed my clothes and threw them in the hamper.

I shook my head and stretched a bit. "Nope, the smell of the coffee will wake me up. As a matter of fact, it'll probably hit you before it hits me. I'll let you know ahead of time, it's going to be a strong smell." I then noticed she was staring at me, more specifically my chest. "What?"

She then pointed. "What are all those markings?"

I looked down and noticed what she must be looking at. "Oh, you mean my tattoos? They're ink that's been needled into the skin to make designs."

"Does it hurt?" she asked, of course using the obvious question most people without them ask.

I shrugged. "The first one does, but after that it's not so bad. Besides, it's worth it." I ran my hand over my stomach, chest, neck, and arms. "Every one of them means something to me." I then turned around and bent over to take off my socks.

I felt a claw on my back. "What about this one?"

I knew exactly which one she was referring to, and I couldn't help but feel a bit of pride. "It says 'Semper Fidelis'. It's latin for 'Always Faithful' or 'Always Loyal'. It's a military tattoo for marines on Earth."

She gasped, her usual stoic composure breaking. "You were a soldier?" She then stared at me in confusion. "Why then were you so frightened when we first met?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "Being a marine prepares you for whatever hell Earth has to offer...but this clearly wasn't Earth. That and the fact I woke up in a place I didn't recognize, and I thought I was alone. That...and I might have thought I was under the effect of hallucinogenic substances."

"I'm not sure what those are..." she answered softly.

I shrugged. "It's okay. It's a drug that basically makes you feel, see, and hear things that aren't real."

"So that's why..." she responded.

I nodded. "Yeah." I then pulled out my grinder an a bag full of a certain plant and proceeded to drop a few bits into the grinder, then began to twist it to break it up.

Renamon sneezed. "I know that smell, that's Funny-plant."

I laughed loudly and nodded. "Funny-plant is a good word for it. On Earth, we call it marijuana."

She sighed and shook her head. "Yes, I know what it is. Digimon who eat it act...strange."

"Humans who smoke it or eat it act pretty strange too." I remarked with a grin.

I then sat down on the edge of my bed and pulled out my mirror, dumping the contents of the grinder on it and picking out the few seeds that were in it. I then packed the small bowl and grabbed my lighter, lighting the semi-dry plant and smiling as the familiar burn went into my lungs.

"Ah...good stuff." I said as I closed my eyes before opening them quickly. "Oh, this calls for some music!" I then turned on my mp3 player and turned to my "chill" music, which mostly consisted of Bob Marley, Sublime, and some soft Santana.

As "Three Little Birds" came through the speakers, Renamon began to slowly bob her head to the music. "This is nice...what is this?"

I smiled as I took another puff and pointed to a portrait of the artist on my wall. "This song is called 'Three Little Birds', and it's written and performed by someone called Bob Marley." I took another hit and smiled as I let it out after a few seconds. "He was a man who believed that hate in the world could be cured by injecting love into it...so that's what he did." I took yet another hit and held it for a few more seconds before exhaling. "A lot of people in my world that use 'funny-plant', as you call it, only focus on the fact that he used it too. The fact of the matter is that he was a lot more than just a man who got high. He held ideals for a peaceful world that would have worked had it not been for money-grubbing humans."

"You don't seem to like your own kind very much." the Renamon remarked, still standing in the center of the room.

I patted the spot on the bed next to me and she sat down. I then took another puff as I stuck my thumb over the end of the bowl. "*COUGH* No, not most of them. The world has its exceptions, but I mean I had a shitty girlfriend, I got screwed by the military I served, and the whole world is controlled by the wealthy, while the rest of us have to beg for scraps. Metaphorically speaking, of course." I leaned my head back against my headboard and relaxed, closing my eyes as I took another hit. "Your world is different. Here, you have to earn and fight for what you deserve. Money doesn't mean power. In a lot of ways, your world is simpler and easier to live in. More dangerous, but simpler." As the last ember burned out, I tapped the bowl against my palm and opened my window, letting the charred ashes drop out. After closing the window and setting the glass pipe on my nightstand, I sat up taller and leaned against the headboard again. "I mean if I'm gonna be here, I might as well make the best of it."

Renamon suddenly looked very ashamed and darted her eyes away. "Yes...I apologize for that."

I raised my left eyebrow and opened the eye. "What do you mean you apologize?"

She seemed to shrink a bit as she looked down at the ground. "Well you said that if I found a way, you'd always be available..."

As the realization swept over me, my eye twitched when I realized what she meant. "You mean..._you_ brought me here?" She nodded. I closed my eyes and growled in barely-contained rage. "Can you send me back?"

"I don't know..." she whispered.

At this point I exploded, leaping off of the bed and glaring at her. "You don't know? That's _not_ an answer!"

For the first time since I'd known her (in this world or mine), she actually seemed afraid of me as she cowered away towards the corner of the room. "W-well that might change! I'm sorry! You said..."

"I know what I said!" I roared. I then dropped my hands to my sides and let out a shaky breath. "I know what I said, Renamon." Without another word, I grabbed my jacket, my knife, and my hat and walked outside to the beach, leaving a saddened and ashamed digimon in my room.

* * *

It had been a few hours since I left my house, and though I'd seen some other digimon eying me curiously, none of them seemed to care one way or the other and left me alone.

The more and more I thought about the way I reacted to Renamon, the shittier I felt. I mean, how was she supposed to know I wasn't serious? It wasn't her fault, after all. Besides, would being stuck here be such a bad thing for me? No...not really. My mother was dead from years ago, and my stepfather hated me. I had no sisters or brothers, and my only aunt was an alcoholic and heroin addict. The only person that I thought cared about me was Christina, but she fucked that up the day she blew and fucked six other dudes while I was working my ass off to pay off my house.

Simply put, I wasn't much better off on Earth than I was here...wherever _here_ was.

As the last of my anger ebbed away, I sat down on a rock overlooking the ocean and allowed the soft moonlight to wash over me. As I heard a twig snap, I grinned without turning away from the ocean. "Renamon, I know you're there. You can come out now."

At my words, I heard her push off from the ground, a second later landing right in front of me. "Daniel, I am so sor-"

I cut her off with a wave of my hand. "Don't apologize Renamon, it's not your fault. You only did what you thought was okay...and only because I had already said it was." I looked up and realized that even though I'd been out of the house for hours, I hadn't actually walked very far I held out my hand to Renamon, and she looked at me curiously. "Come on, let's go home and get some sleep."

"Home?" she responded, still staring at my hand.

I nodded and reached out to take her paw. "Yes...home. You're living with me now, so that makes my home your home."

She finally relinquished her stoic attitude and smiled. "I'd like that." She then offered me her paw. I could have swore I saw a blush on her face as I took it, but then again it was dark so I couldn't really tell. Whatever...I'm not into the whole bestiality thing.

* * *

As we finally reached the house, Renamon took one last look around before stepping inside after me, at which point I locked the door again. As I trudged upstairs and removed my jacket, I couldn't help but notice the kitsune staring at the other tattoos that covered my back...and noticed this even more as she ran her clawed fingers over a few of them. Normally this would have bothered me, but it was pretty clear that she wasn't aware of that little thing called "personal space". I'd tell her more about that tomorrow. For now, I was tired and wanted to sleep.

We both reentered my room and I tossed my jacket onto the bedpost, bending down to pull the roll-out bed from underneath mine. "Here, you can sleep on this, Renamon."

She looked at me in surprise for a moment before speaking. "You're giving me a bed? Are you sure?"

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Well I sure as hell am not going to use _both_ of them, now am I? Besides, if you're living in my house, you're going to have a bed. There's no need to sleep on the floor."

"Yes, but are you-" she began to say.

I interrupted her quickly while tapping the bed with my toe. "Yes, I'm sure. What is it with you? You act like you're all humble and whatnot. Why?"

She shrugged while lowering herself to the bed I'd provided for her. "Well, I did rather mess up your life by bringing you here, so..."

"Look Renamon, I already forgave you for that. If you're going to be my partner, one of the things you're going to have to learn very quickly is how to put the past behind you and move on. No matter what, we'll find a way to work through things together." I explained with a smile, looking into her shining blue pupils.

Her eyes stayed on my face, as if searching for any deception. "Do you mean that?"

"Um, yeah. Of course I do." I responded, laying down against my pillow. _'She's acting weird.'_ I shook the thought from my head and turned off the light. "Anyway, goodnight Renamon. Sleep well."

Her paw appeared in front of me, outstretched in what I assumed was a gesture of camaraderie. I took it in my hand and she squeezed ever so slightly. "Sleep well, Daniel. I'll keep us safe." She then released my hand and let it fall against her own bed.

As I lay my head against the pillow, my brain finally relaxed from the many thoughts that were running through my mind all day. Thankfully with the THC still in my system, I didn't really have to try as my eyes became heavier and heavier, until I finally fell asleep.

* * *

Twenty minutes later...

**Renamon's PoV**

_**What am I thinking? He's my tamer! I can't feel this way about him. It's...wrong!**_

_'But then why do you keep thinking these things?'_

_**Just because the thoughts are there doesn't make it right...**_

_'The heart knows what it wants...'_

_**You're not helping!**_

_'It isn't my job to help, it's my job to tell you the truth about what you feel.'_

As much as I hated to admit it, my subconscious was right.

I had "met" Daniel nearly a year ago, using this "game" as a facilitator. While _he_ thought I was simply some person playing a role in a virtual world, in truth – unbeknownst to him – he had been forming a working relationship with me as a tamer, with me as his partner. At least with his avatar, he was all the things a tamer should be: loyal, caring, kind, stalwart, intelligent, and quick-witted. While most of this was the same for his "true" self, I did notice some very obvious differences. The first I noticed was his long golden-brown hair, that looked like the leaves of autumn. Also, these "tattoos" of his seemed to tell a story of his life. He had told me that each one was important to him in some way...but when looking at them I couldn't decipher how. Some of the markings were akin to the dark-digimon of lore, looking horrendous and terrible...while others told a story themselves of beauty and peace. Just like him, they were extremely complex and varied, and even as he slept, I couldn't help but sit up and gaze over them.

He looked very peaceful as he slept, almost as if sleep allowed him escape from some horrible nightmare.

"Renamon, I know you're still awake. Go to sleep please so that I don't have to worry about you." he whispered in the dark.

I nearly jumped at the sound of his voice and had to place my paws over my mouth to keep from letting out a very undignified squeal of surprise. "S-sorry, Daniel."

This time, _his_ hand was reaching out for me...so I took it and he squeezed one of my fingers lightly. "Hey, I'm right here. You're safe, I'm safe, and nothing's going to happen. Sleep..."

Upon releasing his hand from my paw, the now all-too-familiar warmth started to spread through my body. It happened any time I looked at him, or touched him...or heard his voice. To me he'd always been real, but to see his real body, hear his real voice...it was different. In my mind before now he'd been my tamer – a trusted friend and partner who assured that just as I would fight for him, he would fight for me.

Now however, he's becoming something more.

It was clear that he didn't feel the same for me...at least not yet. After all, up until yesterday I had been nothing more to him than a plaything in what he believed was a fictional world. I just hope I mean more to him than that now.

Time will tell, I suppose.

Still, there were certain things about how he'd acted that have given me a positive outlook on it all. Firstly, he shared a meal with me – something that among digimon is only done with the closest friends or mates. I knew of course that he didn't see it that way, but I could not help but feel the small flare of giddiness that came with it. After all, Renamon were far from unemotional. In fact because of our higher intelligence, we are more closely related to humans in that respect. Emotions however are seen as a weakness in the fighting community, and so Renamon in particular work through intense study and meditation to conceal and control our emotions. In all honesty, I hated this way of thinking...but I could not argue that it worked. Keeping a calm and collected attitude had saved me numerous times, even as Viximon, and so even though I disliked the ideal in itself, it was an ideal I still practiced.

And for fear of losing Daniel as my tamer, it was a practice I _must_ continue.

Even with all this being said, as my eyes finally slid shut, my thoughts were focused on my tamer as the world of dreams overtook me.


	3. Ch 3: Revelations

**A/N: Frostbreaker here with another great chapter for you all! Sorry it took so long, I had technical issues which had to be addressed. All the same, please R&R and let me know what you think.**

**To Shadow Cloud 5283 - Well I'm always happy to help. I'm not necessarily a "supporter" of drugs either, but having done nearly all of them gives me special insight into them which will let me create a completely new character and persona. And "real" emotions are the only way to go. I can't think of anyone that would _not_ be freaking out in that situation, and if they say they _would_ be calm, they're fucking lying.**

**To Geefriend - Well I always aim to please. As far as the third season, I've never watched even one bit of it. I'm writing off of what I've read and what I wish to create.**

**To kn4sakura - I'm glad you like it so far. You will find that both Renamon and Daniel are going to be very complex, just like real people. As far as genders, this is true...I've read that as well. As for any good romance though, there has to be that distinction, and you'll see in a bit how I work that in while being believable. At the moment, Renamon has a feminine personality, but no feminine characteristics otherwise (at least not compared to human females).  
**

* * *

Chapter 3: Revelations

Waking up this morning was quite a bit less problematic, as I already knew that I wasn't alone and that I wasn't on Earth anymore (which while I was still coming to terms with, had become a truth). This in turn allowed me to relax as I smelled the wonderful aroma of coffee brewing downstairs, and I smiled in anticipation.

"You should really learn to wake up quieter." whispered a voice from beside me.

I looked down to see Renamon eyeing me with a smirk, so I just smirked back. "You should learn to sleep a little heavier." The fox digimon stood up and stretched, then sniffed the air and nodded. "You're right, that _is_ a strong smell...but it's nice somehow."

"My thoughts exactly." I replied with a grin, stretching. I then motioned towards the door and smiled. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast."

Renamon followed me downstairs and I proceeded to make the two of us something to eat. Since I still had some thawed steak left over, I opted for a steak-and-eggs breakfast.

"Do you eat like this all the time?" the digimon asked as I cooked the meat.

I shook my head and grinned. "No, I don't. Usually it's a lot healthier than this. However, I had this meat already thawing out, though I can't remember why. Might as well use it before it goes off."

As she sat down at the table, she was suddenly very quiet. Now I know for a fact that Renamon aren't normally the most talkative digimon, but in the short time I've known her – from both the game and reality – she seemed to be different in that respect, at least with me...so the fact she was suddenly so silent bothered me.

"Renamon?" I called out to her, causing her ear to twitch. She looked up at me in response. "What's wrong? You're not usually this quiet. Something on your mind?"

She gazed at me, seemingly out of a daydream. "I'm sorry Daniel, what were you saying?"

"I asked if something was on your mind. You seem a little out of it." I responded.

She looked away and stood up, placing her empty dish in the sink. "Nothing. Come, let's go train."

As she headed to the door I just shrugged and followed her, placing my dish in the sink on the way out. I'd ask her again some other time what was going on. Besides, if I was going to be living here, it was about time I started getting back in shape. I was by no means flabby or anything, but living the life of a civy for the past year had made me a little soft.

* * *

I followed Renamon all the way out to a remote area of the surrounding forest. Now the strange part is that with anyone else, I would have been highly suspicious that they were going to maim, kill, and/or rob me. For some reason though, I trusted Renamon in this respect. I would've liked to think it was because I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt or that I was just a trusting individual...but neither of those were the truth. The truth was that I was afraid. Marine or not, calm or not...I was terrified. I was for all intensive purposes alone in a world I didn't understand that was both dangerous and foreign. Renamon said that she was going to protect me and all that, but I was still reticent to completely trust her. However, whether I liked it or not, she was all I had. If I wanted to survive, I didn't have a choice _but _to trust her. Either that or I'd starve or end up as some larger and stronger digimon's meal. I'd worry about the moral and emotional repercussions later, right now I needed to find a good way to get food as well as train my body and reflexes to fight and defend myself. I didn't know how much stronger a digimon my size would be in comparison to me, but I couldn't rely on Renamon always being there. I know it was kind of her job, but what if something happened to her? What if she was captured...or killed?

"Daniel, pay attention please." grumbled the fox digimon.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and nodded. "Sorry about that."

She glared at me a moment before taking her place across from me. "Now that I have your attention, here is what we're going to do. I'm going to attack you...and your job is to take me down."

"Wait a minute, I know for a fact that you're more than likely a lot stronger than me, and faster. How is that fair?" I retorted.

She shook her head and sighed. "Humans know nothing about the digital world, it seems. Okay, I'll give you a quick rundown of how digimon work. For a digimon's fighting prowess, there are two things that work together to give us our power: physical strength and attunement with the digital realm. Physical strength is just what it sounds like – it's our body's natural strength and abilities. Attunement to the digital realm is what gives us our augmented strength, speed, stamina, and special abilities. Through training and absorbing the data of defeated digimon, a digimon becomes more attuned to the digital realm, and thus can more easily draw upon its power and for longer periods of time. When that attunement 'runs out' during a battle, all we have left is our base physical strength." She then smiled and took a fighting stance. "A smart digimon trains their body so as to prepare for the inevitability that at some point, an opponent will force their connection with the digital realm to sever, and all that will be left is our natural body's strength. In our sparring sessions, I will not use any digital strength, so it will be a fair fight. In all actuality, you are probably more physically powerful than I am...but I warn you not to underestimate me. I have a _lot _of experience."

I grinned and also took my own fighting stance. "If we're fighting on even terms, you might want to tap into just a little of that digital power for extra strength and stamina. You're going to need it."

"I just advised you not to underestimate me, didn't I?" she responded, sounding annoyed.

I shrugged and pulled my hands up with my palms out. "Alright then, I warned you."

Suddenly, she sprinted at me. It was true, she was nowhere near as fast as she _could_ be, but those powerful legs were still more than a match for my flimsy human ones. I had barely enough time to get into my counter stance before she spun on her front foot, launching a powerful roundhouse at my head. I caught the blow and spun towards her back, causing her to lose balance and fall on her stomach. As we landed, I locked her bent leg in between mine and got into position to choke her, but her free leg slammed into the back of my head. The blow wasn't meant to do serious damage, but it did cause me to roll forward off of her, allowing her to jump to her feet in preparation for another attack. She adapted quickly, realizing that a full-on attack wasn't going to work against me, so she instead kept her distance and put balled fists up and her front foot out in a stance that looked a lot like...

"Muay Thai, huh? Okay...let's dance." I responded, taking my stance again and grinning.

She looked surprised for a second, but then smiled and nodded. Though she was obviously in this to win, I could tell she was happy she had a good challenge. I was no slouch when it came to martial arts, as I was into both krav maga and judo even before getting into the military, but I was well aware that with her legs being as strong as they were, she could utterly wreck me if I wasn't careful.

With her legs being as long as they were, it was no surprise to me that she chose to keep her distance and attempt to wear me down with long range kicks. I had thought to try and rush in close whenever she'd recover, but she recovered with startling speed, and I ended up taking a knee to the stomach. It winded me, but my training made sure that wasn't the end. I hopped back and switched to a solid stance this time, and readied myself for her next attack. She saw this change and anticipated what I was doing, and feinted a kick before rushing in and attempting to grapple me. Thankfully, what I had in mind prepared me for this, so I allowed her to get close enough until I could reach her, then lifted my arms up as she grabbed me. With my arms free, I wrapped my right arm around the back of her neck and threw my weight back, causing her to slam face-first into the hard ground. A part of me wanted to stop immediately and start apologizing, but I quickly reminded myself that she was a digimon and was born to fight, so I didn't let up. I scrambled to her back and wrapped my arm around her exposed throat, then flipped over on my own back to render her legs useless to counter. I then positioned my elbow just under her chin and started to squeeze.

Needless to say, she panicked.

The next thing I knew, I was holding on for dear life as she sailed through the air, with me as an unwilling passenger. She was in survival mode now, and had bypassed her little "rule" she'd set for herself of not using her digital powers. To counter this, I put all my strength into the choke, and noticed that as we neared the ground, she stopped flailing and went strangely limp.

I had just enough time to sigh and say, "Ah fuck..." The ground hit and then everything went black.

* * *

"Daniel? Daniel! Oh no no no, don't you die on me! Wake up!" said a voice in the distance. I wanted to respond, but for whatever reason my mouth just wasn't working. "No...no don't do this to me! Not now!"

Sensations started to come, first warmth, then wet, and then overwhelming pain in my face and right arm.

"Owie! Why, _why_?" I yelled out loud as my pain receptors were overloaded. My eyes shot open as I realized I wasn't the only one that would have been hurt from that fall. "Renamon?"

I felt a hand grab mine and another one on my chest. I looked to my side to see the one I was looking for sitting beside me. Her chest was covered in blood and if it's possible, my eyes got even wider. She just looked down at me with that oddly stoic face and nodded. "Good, you're awake." She then stood up and grabbed a towel off of my bed, then started lightly dabbing my face. "What were you thinking? The idea of sparring is _not_ trying to kill each other."

I furrowed my eyebrows and glared at her. "What? I wasn't trying to kill you. I was just trying to make you pass out." I sighed and closed my eyes. "Look, the next time we're sparring and a hold or lock becomes too much for you, just tap on my arm or leg three times to let me know that you submit. That way no one gets hurt, and now you know for a fact that I was _not _trying to kill you." I then pointed at her chest. "You should probably take care of yourself there. I'll be fine. I've been through a lot worse."

Renamon shook her head, still holding an impassable expression. "It's not my blood...it's yours."

I reached up to my face and touched, instantly feeling a stab of pain. "We might as well break all the mirrors. I don't even want to look at myself right now." I then stood up and spit out some blood before sitting down on my bed. I then looked up at the fox digimon and pointed to the door. "Blood's a lot harder to get off of fur than skin. Go take a shower. I'll take one after you." She started to make her way over to me again, but I just shook my head and pointed to the door again. "Go, Renamon. I'll be fine, I promise." Even through the whole stoicism bullshit she was playing right now for whatever reason, I could tell she was worried about me. After a second however, she nodded and left.

After Renamon left the room, I chanced a look at the mirror. Thankfully, the injury wasn't that bad, though I could tell my nose was broken and it felt like my cheekbone might have fractured as well. The cheekbone would have to do its own thing, but I my thumbs on either side of my nose and grit my teeth before snapping it back into place, making sure the bone would heal straight. It was now more sore than it was to begin with, but at least I had the piece of mind to know I wouldn't be having a crooked nose. I would splint it after the shower, but for now I just picked up the bloody towel and got out some clean clothes. I then sat on my bed and waited for Renamon to finish with the shower. I just happened to glance at my calendar and noticed it was July 22...which would make this four years and two months since...

Since _that_ day.

I sighed and opened my nightstand drawer, getting out a blowtorch, an oven glove, and a steel skull pendant. I held the chain of the necklace in one hand and started the torch with the other, then turned the flame on high and ran it over the pendant repeatedly.

After a minute or so of this, I rolled up my sleeve and grabbed the glove, then quickly pressed the now heated skull to my skin...next to a large group of other burn scars shaped like skulls. The first time I did this, I screamed loudly and like a little girl, but I believed in what I was doing, so I powered through it. Now, I simply growled through the pain and shut my eyes before removing the small metal charm after a few seconds. I sighed and wiped the metal pendant down before placing all the objects back in the nightstand. At this point, I heard the shower stop, so I rolled my sleeve back down and stood up with my clothes and dirty towel in hand.

A moment later, Renamon entered the room with a towel still rubbing the top of her head, then she stopped and sniffed the room in disgust. "What is that smell?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Open a window so that it'll clear out of here."

She eyed me suspiciously for a moment before shrugging and nodding. "Very well. I'll await your return then." I heard her stomach growl though, and she seemed to cringe at the sound.

I pointed out the door again and grinned. "You know there's food downstairs, right? Go get something to eat. You're not just a guest, you live here now. My house is your house, and my food is your food. And before you ask, yes...I'm sure."

She nodded and left the room again, me right behind her. As we walked down the hallway, I took a right into the washroom and quickly got my clothes off before turning the water on to take a shower.

* * *

Before and during my shower, I had noticed a very interesting scent in the washroom. It wasn't one I was familiar with, so I figured it must be Renamon. As strange as it sounds, it smelled...nice. I hadn't ever been close enough to know what she smells like, so it's not like it was old news or anything. This thought caused my mind to go crazy with one very large thought dominating it:

What the hell was wrong with me?

She was a fox...a _fox_. Back on Earth when I would passingly hear about some weirdo in some state having sex with an animal, that would be the kind of person I would make fun of to no end. I mean this wasn't any different, was it? I _couldn't_ be falling for a goddamned animal. I wouldn't let myself because it was wrong.

_'What makes it wrong though?'_

The thought plagued my mind as the hot water flowed over my wounds. Well there were quite a few things that made it wrong. First and foremost, animals were different species. Even in the animal kingdom, inter-species relations don't fly, and for good reason. Secondly, animals were just that...animals. They weren't capable of thinking like a human or having real emotions, and so that alone was considered not only wrong, but also animal abuse. Lastly, I was well aware of just how dangerous she could be...just like an animal.

_'But she's not _just_ an animal, is she?'_

It was true. She was intelligent, interesting, and different from anyone I'd ever met before. An animal was just an animal...but Renamon was different. Digimon _weren't_ just animals by a long shot...but what made Renamon different for me was just...her. She was unique.

I then slammed my fist into the tiled wall and growled. "Why the fuck am I even thinking about this? This isn't going to happen..._ever_." I then sighed as I was finishing washing. "Besides...she's only around me because she _has _to be. This tamer-partner deal basically makes her a prisoner."

After a minute or two longer, I stepped out of the shower and dried off. I then stood naked in front of the mirror, grimacing at the ugliness of my body. Scars covered nearly every inch in some way or another, whether because of battle or because I did them myself...but it made sure that as soon as the clothes came off, I looked every bit like the monster I was. While I was very aware of just how undesirable I was physically because of them, I reveled in the scars and old wounds. It was my punishment, and my blessing.

Maybe one day when the outside matched the inside, I could stop looking in the mirror in disgust.

I sighed and pulled my clothes on, covering all but the most superficial of scars on my arms and neck, as well as the four on my face. I shook my hair to give it the shaggy look I liked and walked downstairs.

* * *

Renamon was sitting in the living room dozing slightly, and I couldn't help but grin at the rare undignified time this was. The problem was that this yet again caused my forbidden thoughts to stir again, as I realized just how..._beautiful_ she looked. Her soft yellow and white coat was groomed perfectly so that it shined in the late afternoon sun, and her mouth was upturned in the smallest smile as she rested. Her ears, ever alert, were twitching and turning even as she slept. She looked cute, and not in an animal sort of way. No, she looked cute in the same way a beautiful sleeping girl would look...the way that made you want to sit next to her and hug her tightly.

I growled again and forced the thoughts away, then sighed sadly and walked over to the cabinet to grab some of my stronger liquor. I popped open a bottle of spiced rum and drank it straight until it was gone, then walked over and sat down on the couch. The sound of the wood creaking in the chair caused Renamon to stir, and her eyes fluttered open as she looked over at me.

She sat up quickly and composed herself, taking her stoic expression. "Your wounds have been cleaned, yes?"

I nodded and decided to play along, so I took the whole uncaring mood as well. "They have. I'll live." I then stood up and sat next to her, causing her to eye me curiously. I kept my static demeanor though and looked at her with empty eyes. "Renamon, I'm not sure if I want to be your tamer anymore."

Her eyes widened at the declaration, but she stayed calm...at least on the outside. "Why? Have I done wrong? I didn't mean to hurt you, Daniel. I'm sorry."

I shook my head and stared right into her eyes. "No...you're just fine. I just think that it would be better for you to have a tamer that you actually _want_ as yours."

"But I _do_ want you as my tamer, Daniel. Why do you think I brought you here?" she responded, a slight annoyance being heard in her tone.

I decided that now was the time to let my card play, so I stared back at her, matching her tic-for-tac as far as the whole "emotionless" thing. "Well then why when I woke up were you acting like it was no big deal? You were covered in my blood, and you act like it's nothing. It's pretty clear that _I'm_ no big deal to you, so you need to find a tamer that means more to you than just a means to make you stronger. So tell me how I can release you from captivity with me so you can find someone who works better for you." I pulled the digivice out of my pocket and held it in my hand. "Do I just have to smash this thing or what?"

Sure, you could call what I'm doing "women games" or you could call it just being a prick, but there's a reason why women do this shit sometimes...it _works_...and I learned from my ex, the best game-player I've ever known.

I prepared to throw the digivice onto the hard tile floor, but Renamon reached up and caught my hand in the air. "NO!"

I growled and pulled her in close to me. "Why? Why not?"

"I-I..." she stuttered, now very surprised and confused.

I then snatched my hand away and set the digivice down on the counter beside her. "Look, I don't know what you're hiding from me and right now I don't really care. What I _will_ tell you is that this whole nonchalant 'I could care less' act your playing right now is getting really old, really fast. I've dealt with enough of that on my world and I hate it every bit as much here as I did there." I then pointed to the device. "So if that's the way your going to be, you can take that and get out. I didn't tolerate it on Earth, and I'm not going to tolerate it here." She stared at me for a moment before slowly grabbing the digivice and walking away. "Really? You'd rather stay closed off than be my partner?" She just continued walking, so I took out my knife and threw it at the door in front of her, causing her to turn around in shock when it embedded in the door frame. "Why? What's so bad about acting how you really feel around me?"

Her lip quivered a bit as if she wanted to say something, but all that came out were mumbles. After a moment she composed herself and closed her eyes. "It's not proper to-"

"Fuck what's proper!" I shouted, finally losing my cool. "You brought me here...why? What was so important about me that you chose me and not someone else? Someone that knew more about digimon, or that loved Renamon..."

Her calm facade finally broke as she gasped. "W-what? What is that supposed to mean?"

I threw up my hands. "I don't know! See, that's the problem when someone acts the way you're acting, I don't know what the hell's going on!" She gasped again and I raised an eyebrow. "What?" She then walked over to my right arm and I noticed that the sleeve had come down a bit during my rant. I lowered my head and sighed. "Ah fuck..."

I felt Renamon's hands roll the rest of my sleeve back to reveal my self-inflicted skull graveyard...my reminder. She ran the tip of a finger over them before noticing the new wound that was near the bottom.

I shrugged as I looked at her. "Well, you were wondering what that smell in the room was..."

"Wh-" she started, but couldn't even finish. She closed her eyes and gulped, her expressionless mask having fully fallen away now. "Why would you do this? What could possibly make you want to do this to yourself?"

I sighed and motioned to the couch. "You may want to take a seat, this is going to take a minute to explain." She did as I asked and I went to the kitchen to grab another bottle of rum to sip on, then I made my way back to the living room and sat down next to her. "Okay, you know how I told you I was a marine, right?" She nodded. "Well, I was a marine sniper on what's called a 'spec-ops' team, which is short for 'special operations'. Basically my team's job was covert actions against whatever enemies our country were fighting at the time." I cracked open the glass bottle and took a swig before continuing. "American marine snipers on their own are considered some of the best sharpshooters in the world today, but the division I was in only took the very best of the best." I relaxed a bit into the soft cushions and took another sip. "Anyway, I was in a place called Iraq during a war our country decided would be a good idea to start. It was about three in the morning and I was with my older brother, Jason."

"You had a brother?" she asked.

I nodded. "I did. He was my spotter, simply put, my teammate. Looking back, putting brothers together on one team probably wasn't the best idea." I sighed sadly and continuing. "He had a son waiting for him at home. Because of the war, he not only missed his birth, but also the first five years of his life." I took another big drink of the spicy liquor and took a deep breath. "Anyway, it was early morning and we were charged with providing cover for our team as they tried to sneak into a fortified area. Well, I failed." After two years, I couldn't hold back the tears as one by one, they started to flow. "An enemy sniper saw the shine from my scope with the sun coming up in front of us. His aim was off however, and I was unharmed. Jason, however..." I then pointed to my arm, where the skull-marks were. "There will be one for every month the war stole from him from getting to see his son...and now he'll never get to see him, and it's my fault. I do this so that I never forget what I stole from his son."

I then walked downstairs to my basement and quickly typed in the passcode for the embedded safe in the wall. I grabbed a black case out of it and walked back upstairs, rejoining Renamon on the sofa. I flapped up the clips on the case and opened it, revealing my custom AS50 rifle.

"This," I started, holding the rifle in my hands, "was the rifle I was using that day. It's got over eighty confirmed kills and can drop a target with one shot. It was originally developed for the Navy Seals, but has since been integrated into the marines because of its portability and stopping power." I then pointed to the etching along the stock that were made with a combat knife. "My brother and I did this the day we were put into the same unit. It was supposed to be a kind of good luck charm. I only wish it had worked."

As I let my hand rest on the grip and trigger, I felt the familiar fire burn inside of me again after almost a year. I hate to admit it, but it felt good.

My momentary feeling of nostalgia was broken when I felt Renamon's hand on my shoulder. I turned to look her in the eyes, and I could see a tear in the corner of her eye threatening to break free. "I-I'm sorry, Daniel. I didn't know."

I shook my head with a sad smile. "It's okay. It's not your fault, the blame rests with me."

"No, it doesn-" she started before I interrupted her.

"Yes, it does." I stated firmly. "The last time his wife wrote a letter to us, I promised her that I would make sure he made it home. Now, because of me, his son has to grow up without a father."

Yet again, I was slapped...luckily this time without claw marks though. I looked up from my seat to see Renamon standing over me and for the first time looking angry. "No Daniel, it wasn't your fault. Your brother knew what he was getting into, and so did you. Each one of you were responsible for your own lives. You can't forever blame yourself for something that was beyond your control. What happened that day was horrible...but it's not _your_ fault. You told me that _I _needed to put the past behind me and move on, so why can't you?"

"Because I'm not you!" I bellowed.

She snorted a cynical laugh and nodded. "_That's_ for sure. Tell me something Daniel, do you think your brother would want to know what you do to yourself? Do you think he'd be proud to know that you're scarring yourself on purpose and then saying it's for him?" She braced her large paws on either side of me as her face was mere inches away, so close that I could feel the heat radiating off of her. "I _know_ what it's like to lose someone you care about, Daniel. I've had it happen more times than I can count. The feral digimon in this world didn't care if they were my friend or not, they destroyed them simply to get stronger. And don't think I haven't thought about doing what you do to yourself because contrary to popular belief," she then used one of her razor sharp claws to draw a line on her thigh and I watched as the line turned red with blood, "digimon can bleed too. We feel pain, remorse, and even..." She then choked a bit and sniffled sadly. "We can even feel love." She then set her jaw and I could see her sharp canines sticking out over her bottom lip. "So don't think I don't know what you feel, because I do. The difference between you and I is that I remembered who they were as my friends, and I know that they would want me to press on and live my life...not hurt myself or wallow in misery."

I felt a warm wetness hit my lap and looked up to see its source was Renamon's eye. Before the next tear could fall, I wiped it away from her face. This caused her to open her eyes and look at me, so I nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry, Renamon. I guess I have some things to work on."

She stood up and moved to the side before sitting down to my right. "No...we both do. I'm sorry for being so aloof, Daniel. Showing emotions is not something that works well for a fight, so Renamon in particular strive to keep them hidden or suppressed." She then looked up at me and gazed directly into my eyes. "If you can promise me that you'll forgive yourself and move on, I can promise you that I won't hide myself anymore."

I thought for a second before extending my hand, which she took in her own. I grasped hers firmly and smiled softly. "Deal." After releasing her hand, I tore the sleeve that normally covered my skull "graveyard" and folded it before pressing it against the wound on her thigh. I then used my other hand to guide hers to hold the cloth there. "Wouldn't want blood messing up your pretty fur, now would we?"

For the first time, I saw a clear blush on her face as she nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Daniel."

Yet again the recent thoughts about her resurfaced, but this time backed by her behavior in the past few minutes. In just a little over half an hour, she had shown more depth and care than most people I'd met had shown in their entire lives. I still didn't like the idea of any sort of romance with a digimon...but perhaps we could be more than just partners.

Friends.

I never had many friends in life, save for my brother. It wasn't even so much that most people bothered me, it was just that I never had the time to form any close friendships. When I was a kid, we moved every year or so and even as an adult, the military kept me busy. Perhaps with Renamon though, I could have that connection that I always coveted, but never had.

I then stood up and walked to the kitchen to grab the first aid kit. When I returned to the living room, I quickly cleaned and bandaged my most recent skull-mark before doing the same to Renamon's cut. After I finished I stood up and offered my hand to her, which she took without hesitation. "Come on, let's eat some dinner and relax."

While it was only my second day in the DigiWorld, it was a good one...as was the meal. True to her word, Renamon was now much more open with me about what she felt emotionally, and I found myself liking this change quite a lot. She was a bit tomboyish in nature, but had a wonderful contagious giggle that I loved to hear. For the longest time we simply sat at the table talking and drinking (yes, she had _one_), and it was honestly the happiest I'd been in a long time.

* * *

After cleaning up the dinner dishes and putting everything away I entered the living room and turned on the TV, deciding to watch a DVD. As I popped "Con Air" into the DVD player, I heard the yellow kitsune sit down on the sofa behind me.

"What are you doing, Daniel?" she asked inquisitively.

I smiled as I closed the DVD player and sat down next to her. I then popped right back up and walked to the front door. "Well after I lock down the house, I'm going to watch a movie. You're welcome to join me if you want."

As I made my way to the back door and windows, she nodded. "I'd like that, Daniel. Thank you." After I keyed in my code to the alarm system I sat down on the sofa, bringing yet another bottle of rum with me. She pointed at it and grinned. "You drink that like water. Should I even ask just how long you've been drinking?"

"Since I was twelve." I responded. "Not the best idea, I know."

She extended her hand as I pressed "play" on the remote. "Let me try some of that."

I raised an eyebrow and handed it over. "It's really strong, just to let you know ahead of time."

She rolled her eyes and unscrewed the cap. "How bad can it be?" She then upended the bottle and took a large gulp.

As she turned the bottle down again and started sputtering, I chuckled softly as I grabbed the glass bottle away from her. "Told ya."

"Ugh, how can you drink this?" she remarked, wiping her mouth with the back of her paw.

I chuckled and took another drink. "Years of practice. Hardly anyone drinks this stuff straight. Most smart people mix it with something to deaden the burn a bit."

She sat back against the couch cushions and sighed. "That drink you gave me for dinner wasn't near as strong as that, and even now I feel a little hazy. But you've had three of those bottles to yourself. How are you even still breathing?"

"Yet again, years of practice." I responded, taking another sip.

As the alcohol started to finally set in for me and the movie was in full swing, I found myself not really minding when Renamon placed a pillow against my leg and lay down on it. A couple parts made her jump and even laugh, but for the most part she simply relaxed and enjoyed the new calm atmosphere of the home..._our _home.

* * *

I awoke to the repetitive title screen of the DVD some hours later and turned it off as one would an alarm clock – with the utmost haste and prejudice. I then turned off the TV as well and went to stand up, but found my right arm trapped. As I looked down in the dim light of the house, I saw probably the cutest sight I'd ever seen.

Renamon was still nestled against my lap, though the pillow had been discarded. Apparently at some point, I had taken to resting my hand on her chest, and she was clutching said hand with both of her paws very tightly. Thankfully for me, Renamon was not built like a human female. There were no breasts for me to feel awkward about, but that still didn't help the fact that I was a lot closer in contact to her than I would have liked to be. Luckily, I didn't need to wake her to get loose, as she was smaller and lighter than I was. So I simply picked her up bridal style, turned out the last light downstairs and walked up to the bedroom.

When I arrived in the dark of my room, I attempted to set her down on the roll away bed I had prepared for her, but as soon as I did so she grabbed my arm again and yanked me down on top of her. Thinking that she was playing some sort of game I smirked at her, but noticed that she was actually still asleep.

"God-fucking-damn it..." I whispered. I then looked up at my bed, then to Renamon, then back to my bed. "Fuck it...I'll regret this in the morning." With that said to myself, I picked up her limp body again and placed her on my bed before slipping away, giving her a pillow to hug while I changed. Just as I finished putting on my pajamas, I was yanked backwards onto the bed, causing me to yelp in surprise. I landed in the embrace of Renamon again and that awkward feeling was running through my body and mind. I gently broke her grip and pulled my blanket over both of us before laying my head down on the pillow.

I tried to sleep as quickly as possible, but as I attempted this she decided to wrap her arm and leg around me as she rested her head against mine.

I growled softly. "She's a digimon and you're a human, this doesn't mean anything. She's just a little tipsy, that's all. Just go to sleep, wake up in the morning, deal with the awkwardness, and move on from there. No big deal and it's nothing you haven't done before." I then looked over at the face of the vixen beside me and sighed. "No more drinking for you." Those same thoughts from my shower earlier in the day came back with a vengeance, and with Renamon so close to me at the moment, I couldn't fight them all away.

The strongest question that was assaulting me was, "Well what's wrong with it?" Earlier in the day I had rationalized with myself that it was because she wasn't human...even that she was an animal. But the more and more I thought about it, was that true? Just in two days I'd found things about her that were more "human" than most humans on Earth – more human than human, if you will (yes, it's a good song). She was capable of complex emotions, complex speech and thought patterns, and even such things as kindness. She found a way to relate to me on a metaphysical and emotional level, something no _animal_ would ever be able to do. Just like a human, she was capable of turning against her primal instincts. The incident where I stopped her dead in her tracks by embedding a knife in the doorframe was proof of that. A mere animal would have ran or attacked...she instead instantly changed to concern upon seeing my legacy of self-mutilation on my arm.

I now was having an even harder and harder time fighting my misgivings with the whole idea. On the one hand, I had a lifetime of morals telling me that her physical form proved that she was not human, and therefore it would be wrong to think of her as anything more than a friend or companion. Now though, new emotions were bubbling within me, telling me that who she was inside was more humanlike than most people of Earth.

Like most dilemmas in my life, I pressed it away to deal with when I was sober and thinking clearly.

For the time being, I simply lay in the grasp of the smaller yet stronger being beside me.

* * *

A few more minutes passed and she started twitching and whimpering in her sleep, muttering something about someone named Gulimon. I knew from experience that no matter how much it pained me, it was a bad idea to wake a dreamer from a nightmare, so I simply stayed put until she rode it out.

Thankfully for me, it didn't take long as she suddenly sat up in shock, panting and sweating a bit. She then looked down at me and tears came to her eyes. She instantly latched on to me gently yet firmly and sobbed. Unsure of what to do, I simply freed my arm and wrapped it around her, patting her back softly. My uncertainty was not so much because I was inexperienced in dealing with such a situation, more so that I had never expected to see her cry...not in a hundred years.

A few minutes later, she finally calmed down enough to speak, and she looked up at me with teary eyes. "Daniel..." she breathed softly. "Daniel...please don't leave me. Don't leave me alone again..."

I was yet again unsure of how to react, but I figured I'd comfort her now and deal with the fallout later. Not the smartest idea on my part, but I just couldn't stand to see her cry. With that being the case, I hugged her tightly against me and placed my chin on her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere, Renamon. You'll always have me."

"Do you promise?" she asked, not moving her muzzle away from my neck.

"I swear. You don't ever have to be alone again." I responded...and I meant it more than anything I'd ever meant before.

Maybe we'd never be more than friends and partners...or maybe we would. For the time being, I didn't want to think about it. What I _did_ know was that she needed me...and I needed her. A lot of those emo kids from Earth always say shit about their girlfriends or boyfriends saying that they were their other half, and now they were whole.

With Renamon, it was the same and yet different.

We were each a whole, added together to make two. Just like the numbers themselves, two lesser quantities added together to make one of larger quantity. I was still sovereign, as was she...but we would work and live together to do more than either of us could ever have done on our own.

With that last thought in mind, I hugged Renamon tight against my body as I finally closed my eyes and went off to sleep.


	4. Ch 4: PT and the Past

**A/N: Hey there everyone! Frostbreaker here with another great chapter for you. As always, please R&R and let me know what you thought.**

**To Shadow Cloud 5283 – Well I'm glad you're enjoying it. On the note of your consideration, think carefully about it. I'm sure you could handle the training, but let's just say there's a reason why the other branches refer to them as the "bullet sponge".**

**To Geefriend – I'm pleased you're enjoying the story, and yes...you can always ask questions to anyone and everyone.**

**To Dracomon – It is a definite possibility.**

**To dante okami – Just because a man never forgets the gun, that doesn't make him a killer. It's a whole different thing to see the life leave another human being's eyes and know that you caused that. All the same, I know that it was my duty to my family and brothers in arms. I will tell you from personal experience that locking away a piece of yourself – even if you consider it bad – is never a good thing. There's always an outlet that's safe and constructive. Find yours, and you'll have found peace.**

**To callmeBaby'08 – Well I'm happy you're enjoying the story thus far. There's plenty more to come, so check back often.**

**To kn4sakura – There won't be any of the Guilmon or Impmon relationship in this story. As far as her change of character, you'll find out how that happened in this chapter. Her core personality is still the same, but you're going to find a lot more depth added to her in this story than was originally designed in the manga and TV show.**

**To zsd brony – Well I'm always happy to hear from you, and thanks for the review. As far as Guilmon, you will find out what happened to him in this chapter. Not sure if you or the others will like it or not, but it's where I'm taking this story.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with any of the Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners. **

* * *

Chapter 4: PT and the Past

The smell of coffee woke me again, and I smiled as I sat up in bed. Thankfully as I woke, Renamon did not. I assumed it must have been because of the drink she had that she was not awake yet (what a lightweight), so I gently untangled myself from her and covered her back up before heading to the washroom for my morning grooming.

After cleaning myself up and putting on fresh clothes, I headed downstairs to make some breakfast. I threw together a roast beef sandwich with some cheese and poured myself a glass of orange juice, then sat down at the table and began to eat. As I did so, I replayed the events of last night in my head. I steered away from the part where I shared a bed with Renamon, instead focusing on our reconciliation of sorts. In all honesty, I was glad she pulled me away from what I was doing to myself. I had never realized before just how stupid it was, but looking back, she was right. Jason wouldn't have wanted to see me like this. Damage had already been done, but there was still room to heal – for the emotional wounds at least.

More importantly though, I was sure that I had made a very powerful ally and loyal friend.

Just as I finished my breakfast, I could hear the soft padding of steps coming downstairs, as well as a groan of pain or annoyance.

I looked up to see the fox digimon holding her head in one hand as she slowly descended. "Ugh...why does my head hurt?"

"Alcohol will do that to you if you're not used to it." I then turned around and rummaged around in the fridge before setting a bottle on the counter. "Here, this is Pedialyte. It's an electrolyte-enhanced drink that'll get rid of that feeling quickly. I'll warn you, it's going to taste a little...odd."

She snatched the bottle out of my hand and upended it, chugging the entire thing before placing the empty bottle on the counter next to me. She then sat down on the couch and sighed.

I took a seat next to her and nudged her shoulder, feeling the feather-like tufts of fur tickle my own shoulder. "Hey, are you alright?"

She was silent for a long time before looking at me with blush on her cheeks. "I apologize for last night. I didn't mean to lose my composure like that."

I shook my head with a smile. "It's okay, Renamon. You had too much to drink for you and you had a bad dream." I then smirked and poked her arm. "You know you got really snuggly last night." She let out a halting laugh before falling silent again. "Who was it, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Who?" she responded.

"Guilmon. You were crying his name last night." I responded with a look of concern.

The mention of the name made her flinch, and she looked down at her paws. "He was a very dear friend." She then looked at me and sighed. "You aren't my first tamer, Daniel. Years ago, I had another tamer named Rika Nonaka. With my help, she and her friends saved the world many times over, and protected it from danger. Guilmon was one of the digimon that was in our little 'group', and his tamer was a boy named Takato Matsuki." She then closed her eyes and let a single tear fall. "The time came when we digimon were forced to return to the digital realm, leaving our tamers forever."

I sat attentively beside her, offering my presence as a sort of comfort. "How long ago was that?"

"Nearly ten years." she responded sadly. "Anyway, after we were all back in this world, we only had each other to rely on for safety. Guilmon, Terriermon, and I all watched out for and protected each other." She then sighed and let another tear fall. "Terriermon was never much of a fighter, however. He was the first to fall." She went silent for a moment and then continued with a small smile. "Guilmon was all I had left. I had never noticed him much when we had tamers, but when it was just he and I, I realized just how good of a friend he was. He was my best friend...my _only_ friend." She then leaned against me, and I repositioned myself to make it more comfortable for her. "Beelzebumon went rogue, and he came after both of us. Even with Guilmon digivolved to Growlmon and me as a Taomon, it wasn't enough. Beelzebumon was defeated, but Guilmon was also fatally injured." I watched as the floodgates finally opened, and tears openly flowed from her eyes. When she spoke again, I could feel the sadness in her voice. "His deletion happened as I held him in my arms." She then held her right paw to her chest. "He's in here somewhere...his data. I absorbed it so that in some way, he'll always be with me."

I'd known about Guilmon and Terriermon from what little I could remember about the Digimon series, and I also knew who Rika was. But they were fictional, weren't they? Still, I was in the digital realm, something I never thought possible...so I guess fiction and nonfiction are words that aren't really needed here.

"You know," I started, "I meant what I said last night." She looked at me with a confused expression, so I continued. "About you not having to be alone anymore."

I could very clearly see as Renamon's cheeks were dusted with a light crimson, and she looked away. "I didn't think you remembered that part."

I chuckled and stood up. "I wasn't the one that was smashed last night. That lovely award goes to you."

"Rika also told me we'd always be together." the vixen responded. "She even..." as she tried to speak, her voice broke in sadness. A moment of emotional strife overtook her before she continued, though it was with a sad and sorrowful tone, "The last thing she told me was that she loved me."

I reached down and took Renamon's paw, pulling her up with me. "If she really cares about you that much, I'm sure she'll find a way to see you again. If it's possible for me to get here, it stands to reason that it's possible for her too."

Renamon shook her head. "I'm not so sure. It took years of planning and work to be able to bring _you_ here."

I cocked my head to the side as we walked upstairs again. "You've only known me for about a year though." At this Renamon hung her head and nodded. "Who exactly were you planning on bringing here then?"

"Rika..." the vixen just barely whispered. "But I couldn't find her. I searched and searched...but came up with nothing."

As we reached the top of the stairs, I sighed and leaned against the wall. "Renamon, I have something I need to tell you...something very important."

This was going to suck...

The vixen looked at me curiously and nodded. "Okay, what is it?"

"Well..." I breathed out, "I'm not really sure how to say this without freaking you out, so I'm just going to say it, okay?" She nodded, but seemed to mentally brace herself. I looked directly into her eyes before continuing. "Renamon...in my world, you're fictional. In my world, you and your friends are all a program that's on TV...that includes Rika and Takato."

She stared at me for a moment before grinning and shoving me. "Very funny, Daniel. I'd appreciate if you didn't joke about that though, it's a sensitive subject."

I just stared at her with pleading eyes and shook my head slightly. "I'm not kidding, Renamon. I wish I was, but I'm not. Where I'm from, the Earth you were accustomed to with the people you remember doesn't exist. In my world, digimon are in comic books, video games, television programs, and movies...but they've never actually existed." Before she could respond though, I continued. "But before you start questioning your reality, I can affirm that you _are_ real. We're from different worlds, but somehow you tapped into mine and found me. Because of that, I truly believe that we could find Rika."

**Renamon's PoV**

"Why?" I asked softly. "Why would you want to do that? You didn't know her."

Daniel shook his head with a small smile. "I didn't...but you _did_. I know you miss her because it's obvious the two of you were very close."

I nodded to my tamer with a sad smile. "We were. At first she and I were only together because of mutual benefit. Both of us wanted to become stronger, and so we allied to do so. As time wore on...we became more than that. We became friends, and then family." The mere thought of the brash redheaded girl was bringing tears to my eyes. "I miss her so much." I then looked back to Daniel with confusion. "That doesn't answer my question, though. Why would you help me find Rika? What do you get out of it?"

He let that warm grin grace his face as he clapped a hand on my shoulder. "You're a friend, Renamon...my only friend really." Those words warmed me, and he continued. "I know you'll never truly be happy unless you can at least see her again. If you have to say goodbye, it should be on your own terms." He then smirked and nudged me softly. "Besides, this Rika helped to make you into who you are today. I'd like to meet the person that was able to form such a strong bond with you. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from her as well." He then inclined his head towards the washroom. "Wash up. I'm going to show you how we used to train in the marines. If you want training for your body, I can help you with that." I nodded and closed the door behind me to clean myself. Just as I was about to turn the water on, a knock sounded at the door. "By the way, I have a few spare toothbrushes in one of the drawers in there. Just open a new one and use that to brush your teeth."

I grinned even though he couldn't see me. "What are you trying to say?"

"That your breath stinks and you should brush your teeth so I don't have to light scented candles everywhere we go." he remarked through the door.

Oh, I am going to get him back for that.

* * *

I let the water run over my hand until it was a nice temperature, then stepped into the shower to clean myself. Human showers were nothing new to me, as Rika had allowed me to use hers to clean myself those many years ago. I remember the first time I used a shower was rather strange, as Rika had to walk me through how everything worked. I also remember I made the mistake of accidentally spraying her perfume in my face after I had finished...a mistake I made sure to never, _ever_ make again.

As I used a bottle of soap to lather my fur, I found myself thinking of Daniel again. Had he really meant what he said about helping me find Rika? I hoped the Sovereigns that he did, as I missed her so much. Even so, I found myself more comfortable with Daniel as my tamer. It was a change within me that was frightening, as I was unsure of how Rika would react to it. I loved my previous tamer just as she loved me...I only hope that hadn't changed in these years. She would be a few years older than Daniel now, nearing twenty-two or twenty-three years of age. Even though I missed Rika, our time as tamer and partner were done...but that didn't mean we couldn't still be friends again.

I only hoped she would see it that way.

My mind began to wander as I continued washing myself, and I was shocked when somewhere in the lucidity of my aimless daydreaming, the hands that were washing me stopped being my hands...they were Daniel's. His strong fingers running over my fur and into the mane of my chest...along my hips and sides. I moaned softly as the vision ran its course, and even though my rational mind told me to stop, I let it progress. I wanted it...more than I cared to admit to myself. I dreamed of it the previous night as he held me...the feel of his hands on my body. It was intoxicating and wonderful in every sense of the terms. Digimon were different from humans. Being digital entities, we didn't reproduce the same way as humans did...most of the time. That being the case, we didn't have sex characteristics...most of the time.

That was not to say we didn't respond to touch in sensual ways, however.

As my fingers roamed over my body, I found my vision blurring as I imagined my tamer's touch...his breath upon my neck...his lips on mine. By this point, all rational thought was out the window. All that remained was the imagination of his touch...of his warmth and fingers. I moaned loudly as my claw grazed a particularly sensitive spot along my neck, and I fell down against the wall of the shower as the sensations overcame me in an explosion that seemed to overload my senses. I was left a panting mess on the floor of the shower.

As my rational mind came back to me, I was angry with myself. What was wrong with me? Daniel was my tamer and a friend...but nothing more. I couldn't be feeling this way about him, no matter how much I wanted it. I wanted him in my life always...and if that meant only as a tamer, then so be it. With that being the case, I needed to keep myself in check around him.

* * *

I reached over and turned the water off before standing up and opening the door to the shower, stepping out and wrapping a towel around myself. I stopped to look at myself in the mirror, suddenly very concerned with my appearance. I had always striven for strength in all ways. Even though digimon did not "mate" as humans did, we often would choose a life partner to spend our days with as we went throughout our long lives. Unlike humans, our partners were chosen from who was the most powerful and most experienced in combat.

Save for Beelzebumon, that was me. It was no secret among the digimon of the realm that I was the most powerful and skilled in combat, and so needless to say, I had more than enough suitors after my bond. A digimon's bond was life-changing. It forever bound the digimon to whoever they chose to perform it with, making them mated for life and capable of reproducing with offspring on a digital level. For me, it would be different...because the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted Daniel to be my mate. The question was, would he accept it? Probably not now. I was very attentive when it came to the subtle cues of the body, and his told me that he was still uncomfortable with me on that level. I hoped with all of my being that at some point that would change, but for the moment I kept to myself for the matter.

I quickly rubbed my fur dry with the towel and proceeded to use a brush within the drawer to brush my fur to its silky sheen. I then used the extra toothbrush provided to me to clean my mouth, even though I found the taste of the toothpaste a bit overpowering ("wintermint" was a little strong). I finished cleaning myself up and exited the washroom, to see the smirking face of Daniel.

**Daniel's PoV**

I just happened to be walking by the washroom and couldn't help but smirk as Renamon exited the room. "Took your time in there, didn't you?"

I saw the vixen blush and she nodded. "It's been awhile since I've been able to have heated running water."

I nodded and grinned. "Trust me, I'm right there with you. When I was in Iraq, we rarely had hot water running for us. More often than not, we had to make due with cold or room-temperature water for baths."

"Yes, things have been about the same for me." she responded with a slight nod. Renamon then softly ran her finger over my face with an appraising look. "Your wounds seem to be healing nicely. How is your cheek?"

I shrugged. "Sore as hell, but it's not like I can splint it. I just have to make sure I don't get any further damage to the area before it's healed. That being said, no punches to the face."

Her hand dropped to her side and she smirked. "Not unless you deserve it, so you better keep on your toes. Now, what was this you were telling me about training?"

I wiggled my finger as I walked away. "Follow me."

* * *

We arrived in my basement and I quickly typed in the code for my safe and opened it. I brought out two weight vests, two pairs of ankle weights, and two pairs of wrist weights. I pointed to one of the sets. "Put those on, Renamon."

As I expected, she quickly and easily strapped all the weights to herself, and I did the same. She looked at me with an inquisitive look for a moment. "What are we putting these on for?"

I smirked and twirled my finger. "I know you're using your digital power right now, so stop using it and you'll see."

For a moment nothing happened, but then I saw her visibly slump a bit before standing tall again. "By the Sovereigns, this is heavy!"

I chuckled and nodded. "It's part of wartime physical training for marines. It's because of things like this that marines are known as the hardasses of hardasses." I then opened the basement door and stepped out of it, taking a deep breath of fresh air. "Alright Renamon, we're going to go for a little jog."

As we started to jog, I started to recite a standard military cadence that the marines used when I was in the service.

"Mama and Papa was layin' in bed  
(Mama and Papa was layin' in bed)

Mama rolled over to papa she said  
(Mama rolled over to papa she said)

Gimme some  
(Gimme some)

PT  
(PT)

Good for you  
(Good for you)

Good for me  
(Good for me)

You better be a drill instructor  
(You better be a drill instructor)

You better wear that smokey bear  
(You better wear that smokey bear)

You better be a drill instructor  
(You better be a drill instructor)

You better shave off all of your hair  
(You better shave off all of your hair)

Pain  
(Pain)

In my back  
(In my back)

Pain  
(Pain)

In my arms  
(In my arms)

We don't care  
(We don't care)

We like it there  
(We like it there)

Pain  
(Pain)

In my hair  
(In my hair)

Pain  
(Pain)

In my knees  
(In my knees)

We don't care  
(We don't care)

We like it there  
(We like it there)

Out in the desert late one night  
(Out in the desert late one night)

The grunts got into a hell of a fight  
(The grunts got into a hell of a fight)

They got on the hook and they called us in  
(They got on the hook and they called us in)

Arty arty where ya' been  
(Arty arty where ya' been)

Saddam he's up there on this hill  
(Saddam he's up there on this hill)

The grunts can't get him but artillery will  
(The grunts can't get him but artillery will)

Fire mission fire mission all 6 guns  
(Fire mission fire mission all 6 guns)

Watch those cannoneers really run  
(Watch those cannoneers really run)

A Charge 7 White Bag Shell HE  
(A Charge 7 White Bag Shell HE)

X-ray Yankee Fusa VT  
(X-ray Yankee Fusa VT)

A Charge 7 White Bag Shell HE  
(A Charge 7 White Bag Shell HE)

X-ray Yankee Fusa VT  
(X-ray Yankee Fusa VT)

Take that staff and ram it round  
(Take that staff and ram it round)

Let me hear that thumping sound  
(Let me hear that thumping sound)

Take the lanyard in your hand  
(Take the lanyard in your hand)

Fire your piece at my command  
(Fire your piece at my command)

The grunts they called us on the hook  
(The grunts they called us on the hook)

And said artillery ah take ah look  
(Said artillery ah take ah look)

Ya' got a job and you did it well  
(Ya got a job and you did it well)

Cause you blew Saddam up to hell  
(Cause you blew Saddam up to hell)"

"What was that?" asked a panting voice from behind me.

I chuckled as we continued our run. "Military cadence. It helps keep time so that we all run evenly. If done correctly, your right foot should be hitting the ground at the same time mine does...same with the left."

She seemed to think a moment before she responded with, "Let's try that. Do another one."

I chuckled and obliged as we reached the edge of the forest.

* * *

About twenty minutes had passed and the two of us were now in the middle of the forest. Thanks to my year as a civy, the exercise was harder than I remembered, but that just pushed me to work harder to get strong again. Renamon on the other hand had let her arrogance get her into more than she could handle, and she was laying on the ground, panting wildly.

Her eyes then widened and she sat up before scrambling over to a tree and emptying her stomach behind it. I chuckled and stepped over to her, then rubbed her back soothingly. "Let it out, Renamon. It's alright, I did the same thing when I was first training." She continued heaving for another few seconds before shakily wiping her mouth with the back of her paw and sitting down against the tree. I reached into my pocket and handed her a small water bottle, which she instantly tried to drain all at once. I yanked it away and shook my head. "Slowly Renamon, or you'll just puke again."

She nodded and sipped the water a few times before letting her hand fall heavily at her side, still panting. "Wow. I don't think I've _ever_ felt this tired before."

I nodded. "Yeah. I figured you relied on your digital powers more than you said, so I thought you might have a hard time with this. Still, you said yourself that a smart digimon trains their body. I'm promising you that if you want to be physically strong, this will get it done in record time. It's going to hurt, it's going to make you tired, and some days you're going to want to strangle me...but if you do as I say, you'll be physically stronger than you've ever been before."

"You better be right. I might be physically weaker than you, but with my digital powers I can still destroy you." she retorted with annoyance.

I rolled my eyes and patted her shoulder softly. "Like I said, some days you're going to want to strangle me." I then pulled her up and smiled. "Now, we're going to slowly walk back as a sort of cooldown. This is your first time, so I'm going to go easy on you. Tomorrow though, you're getting the full training. We're going to be doing this for the next six weeks, just like boot camp."

"Six weeks?!" Renamon squeaked out.

I nodded. "Yep. You're only going to be wearing the weight vest when we're doing training...but every other part of the day save for showers and bedtime, you're going to be wearing your ankle and wrist weights." I then gestured to her generally. "You're actually getting it a little easier than we did, as this whole set only weighs one-hundred pounds, whereas full combat gear for marines weighs anywhere from one-hundred twenty to one-hundred fifty pounds."

She sighed and nodded. "Sounds to me like you're trying to kill me."

I chuckled and placed my hand on the shoulder of her vest. "Nah, I care about you too much to kill you...but you're probably going to want to kill _me_ some days."

She blushed a bit and turned away. "W-well we should get back then before it gets too late."

I handed the bottle to her and chuckled as she seemed to be almost stomping with each step.

* * *

We arrived at the house as early afternoon hit, which meant we'd been gone a little over an hour and a half. Renamon was breathing heavily and dripping with sweat when we returned, so I helped her get out of the weight vest and sent her upstairs to shower. As I took a cleaning rag and wiped down our vests with spray, I then realized exactly what I'd said out in the forest. It had just slipped out...

I admitted I cared about her.

To anyone that could see the two of us together the past two days, it would be clear that I _did_ care about her...but saying it out loud changed things. It meant that not only had I acknowledged it to her, but to myself. So it _was_ true then, I _did_ care about her...and enough that I could say it out loud. Friends care about each other though, right? Right.

After hanging the two vests up to dry, I stepped upstairs in time to see the vixen strapping the weights back on her ankles and wrists. I nodded with a smile. "Good, you're putting them back on. How do you feel?"

She growled and stood up as she strapped the last velcro of the ankle weight on. "Like I just ran a few miles with a hundred extra pounds weighing me down."

I shrugged and smiled. "You'll get used to it. Eventually we'll get you to the point where you can wear the one-hundred fifty pound weight vest comfortably."

"Wait a minute, you have one heavier than the one I was wearing? Why?" she asked, shocked.

I shrugged. "I used to be a lot stronger than I am now. It used to be the one _I _trained with." I then walked by her. "Well, I'm going to take a quick shower to clean up. I'll make us a small dinner when I'm done, okay?"

With that said, I headed upstairs and hopped in the shower. The hot water always had a way of washing the day away – not just the sweat and dirt, but also the troubling thoughts and memories that came with it. Today however, it simply relaxed me and got me clean. For the first time in a long time, there weren't any bad memories that I wished to forget or things I wanted to drown in alcohol. Instead, I'd had a fun time with a new friend. Perhaps not the most fun for her, but it was a bonding experience...and I felt the effects. She trusted me, and I trusted her back.

I stepped out of the shower with a smile on my face and wrapped a towel around myself before quickly getting dressed in my room.

* * *

When I walked downstairs I found Renamon had fallen asleep waiting for me, which was surprising seeing as how I had only been in the shower ten minutes. I walked over to her and gently stroked her cheek, causing her eyes to flutter open. "Come on, Renamon. You can help me cook dinner."

She sighed and stood up on shaky legs. Just as she started to fall, I caught her and pulled her to her feet again. She nodded and braced herself against me. "Thank you, Daniel."

I nodded. "No problem. Hold my shoulder until you get steady as we walk to the kitchen." The vixen nodded and we hobbled our way to the kitchen. I then set her next to the counter and opened the fridge. "So, do you feel like a chunky salad tonight or some sushi?"

For some reason this got her attention, and she rushed over to me with startling speed. "You have sushi?"

"No, but I can make some." I responded with a smile, grabbing out the different ingredients. I handed a bag of "Sushi rice" I had bought from a Japanese grocer on Earth along with a measuring cup. "Alright I want you to measure out 200ml of rice. I have a copper pot hanging above your head right now, and I want you to use that one. Put the rice in there and add the same amount of water – 200ml. Turn the stove on medium-high heat and grab the glass lid for the pot that's under the stove." I then opened a cupboard and handed a small package to her. "This is kombu. As soon as the rice starts to boil, put three strips of this right on top and cover it with the glass lid." I then handed her an egg timer. "Set the timer for seven minutes and let it cook on its own. Can you remember all that?"

Renamon nodded quickly. "I've made sushi before with Rika's grandmother. I know how it's done."

I nodded. "Good, then while the rice is boiling, you can make the su as well. I'll get the vegetables and tuna ready." She nodded and we went about making dinner.

* * *

Even though it had been almost a month since I'd made sushi, it was damn good. Renamon obviously knew her way around the kitchen very well, and I was pleased she was so helpful, as my cheek injury was causing a major migraine. We quickly cleaned up after dinner and locked down the house before heading upstairs.

A first for me was when I chose to go to bed sober, and as I slid into my bed, I was pleased with the way things were going. PT might not be the most enjoyable thing for most people, but it was something I knew how to do well...and it would help both me and Renamon. After all, I may be the tamer, but I didn't feel comfortable letting Renamon do all the fighting. For the time being things were pretty calm, but I knew that sooner or later we would come across one of those feral digimon...and I wasn't going to just sit on the sidelines while my friend put her life on the line.

As I lay there silently in bed however, I couldn't seem to fall asleep. Something was missing, though I couldn't seem to place my finger on what. It wasn't alcohol, and it wasn't weed. Neither one of those were included in the kind of longing I had...but I couldn't identify the source or whatever reason...so I just laid there and stared at the ceiling.

* * *

The night passed slowly, and I had one of those nights where I stared at the clock and watched the minutes tick by, calculating exactly how much sleep I'd get if I fell asleep at that exact moment. Sleep never came however, and I was left laying there feeling like an idiot. Even when I was sleeping in some God-forsaken motel in the middle of Baghdad, I never had trouble sleeping. As a matter of fact, I used to get called "the sandman" because of how easily and quickly I could fall asleep.

It seems that I'm suddenly not worthy of that title.

I was broken out of my thoughts on the matter by the sound of Renamon whimpering from beside me. Like she had the previous night, she was having another nightmare. Also like the previous night, she was calling out for Guilmon in her sleep. I waited for the inevitable conclusion of it, and soon enough it came. She sat up off of her bed and breathed heavily a few times before leaning her back against my bed and drawing her knees in against her chest. Unlike the previous night, she didn't cry...she just slowly rocked back and forth silently.

I reached over to her and placed my hand gently on her shoulder, causing her to jump a little. She looked back at me with the most fear in her eyes I'd ever seen. No words needed be said. Instead, I patted the spot next to me on my bed and scooted over to make room. Tonight however, the roles were reversed. _I _held onto _her_, making sure she knew I was there and that everything would be okay. After a few minutes she nodded and I released her, moving back to my side of the bed.

This action resulted in her wrapping herself around me like the previous night, though it was obvious that this time there was no alcohol involved in her decision. She gazed at me with pleading eyes and I nodded, bringing my left arm around her to embrace her tighter.

A part of me was screaming the word "relationship" over and over, but I pushed that thought away again. For the moment, she was afraid and felt alone. She needed me, and if this is what made her feel better, I would do it. I found it strange that _I _was the one that was in an alien world, and yet I was better adjusted than she was. This was probably because I hadn't been forced to watch all my friends be hunted and killed, but inside I knew there was more to it than that. I knew that behind all her strength and power, she was every bit as fragile and broken as I was. Unlike her, I'd had family and friends to help me through my hard times. But her...she had been alone. She'd never had the time or safety to truly mourn the loss of her friends, which was why she was having nightmares now.

With all that in mind, I said the only thing I could say to her. "Renamon, it's okay...I'm here. I'll never choose to leave you and I'll always watch out for you."

Silence ensued, but she hugged herself tighter against me as she started to drift off to sleep. As my eyelids began to get heavy, I realized at that moment what I had been missing.

It was her.


	5. Ch 5: Awkward Shmawkward

**A/N: Hey everyone! Frostbreaker here with another chapter for ya! Please enjoy and R&R to let me know what you think.**

**To dante okami – Well those are in no way violent. If you don't knock a guy on his ass in football, you aren't doing it right.**

**To kn4sakura – Convincing stories always make the best stories, so I'm glad you enjoy. As for the emotional scars it's true, they rarely _completely _heal...but that doesn't have to stop us from living.**

**To zsd brony – Well Guilmon may not have been the most mature or intelligent of his group, but he had the heart of a lion and protected all of them to the end. The weights for training was something I picked up from a sergeant of mine during the service, and it works hella good.**

**To callmeBaby'08 – Well I'm glad you'll be around for awhile. I've got plenty more to come, so I'm sure you'll be entertained for weeks or months to come.**

**To wolfoftheabyss5 – _Rm: It is a digital "ritual" of sorts that allows me to use the data from defeated digimon not for power, but to tear a hole in the space between realms...one stable enough to pull someone through. I haven't found a way for it to work the other way, however...and I fear this is because digimon are digital entities. I will admit, the weights are very uncomfortable at first, but I understand their use. While I may not be as obsessed with becoming the strongest as I once was, a way to improve myself is always appreciated. It always helps when a friend is the facilitator._**

**Music choice: "Still Alive" by Lisa Miskovsky from the _Mirror's Edge OVGS._ Rain (yes...like the weather).**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with any of the Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Awkward Shmawkward

For all you cat-lovers out there, it's cute as hell when kitty wakes you up by softly licking your cheek while purring, right? Okay, now imagine that cat was as big as you, could talk to you, and you had been fighting internally with your feelings about said cat for the past few days.

Suddenly it's creepy as hell...at least I thought it was.

That's how I woke up this morning. There I was sleeping and dreaming a lovely dream about something that I'll probably think is odd when I wake up, but I was snapped out of the dream by a tongue against my face. My eyes shot open and I found my head cradled in Renamon's paws as her tongue ran over my face. I dared to look at her and noticed that she was still asleep, so thankfully even though it was very odd and invasive, at least she wasn't doing it on purpose. Even with that being the case, this was hitting an all-time high on my awkward-o-meter, so I did the only thing I _could_ do:

I shoved her away and started shouting angry gibberish in several different languages at once.

So now we were both sitting with extreme tension in the air at the counter, eating breakfast in complete silence after taking an equally silent morning jog with full weights on. Even after hours had passed and we had both showered, I couldn't look at her...it was too weird. I could tell she felt equally awkward about the situation, as she would look away anytime I even accidentally looked in her direction.

Now yet again let me just reiterate, the _reason_ this was so awkward was because I felt _something_ for her...though I wasn't sure I wanted to know what. All I know is that had I woke up the same way with a girl in my bed, I might have either fucked her like crazy or kicked her out the window depending on who it was. With that being the case, I had utterly no idea how to deal with Renamon. I decided that with all this being the case, I'd do what I always did when I needed to think: I'd do some target practice with my rifle.

I stood up and cleaned my plate off before heading down to my safe and grabbing my rifle and doing a quick rundown of all the parts. I disassembled the entire thing and cleaned it inside and out before putting it back together, grabbing a box of .50 BMG shells, and heading up to my roof.

* * *

I lay down in the familiar position on my stomach with the stabilizers deployed and proceeded to pick a target with my NPO scope. Sure it's a hunting scope, but it's the only legal one that gave me what I was used to. I turned the magnification to max (44x) and proceeded to take aim at my target – a small rock on top of a cliff. After adjusting for the range and wind, I reached down and popped the magazine into the rifle and flipped the safety off. As my hand rested against the grip and trigger again, my military training took over and I lined up the sight. I took a few deep breaths before letting out a long sustained breath and lightly squeezing the trigger. In less than a quarter of a second, the small pebble was obliterated into dust and I let myself sport a small smile. The recoil, the sound of the shot, the smell of the spent casing...it all felt absolutely amazing after so long. I then proceeded to aim for the cliff face and fired...then went about seeing how many times I could hit the same place before my ammo ran out.

Just like back in the service, I never missed.

As I flipped the safety on, I ejected the empty magazine and sat up. I then leaned back against the chimney and went about reloading the magazine, one shell at a time. As I did so, I let my mind drift back to this morning, now that the awkwardness had melted away. Had it really been so bad? Weird, but not bad. I mean she was doing it on accident, right? Once I got past the fact that my face was being licked, it was actually kind of cute...albeit in a bizarre sort of way. Besides, she was a friend, and I wasn't going to let an awkward moment as insignificant as that ruin a good thing. After all, it wasn't like I'd woke up naked in bed with her after a long night of drinking. I mean, I wasn't even sure if she _had_ those...parts...

Where was I even going with that?

Whatever...

As I finished reloading the magazine for my rifle I sighed and grabbed it and the shells before hopping down off my roof and walking back inside.

* * *

When I arrived inside, it was to find Renamon meditating in silence in the middle of the floor. I didn't spare her a look as I quickly walked down to my basement and put my rifle and shells back in the safe, pulled my heavy bag out and taped myself up, then began training my fighting skills again. Just like in the service, my body knew exactly what to do. The motions, the force, the reactions...everything came back to me like second nature. Just like the target practice on the roof, it felt damn good. As bad as it sounded, it was because war was the only thing I had ever truly been good at _and_ enjoyed. I remember when I was little that my mom used to tell me that my ADD was known as "hunter's instinct" among the less-advanced societies of the world. It wasn't until I grew up that I realized she was right. My attention to detail was very high, my eyes instinctively always jumped to anything that moved, and I always got a little buzz from the thrill of what my brother called "deathwatch" – a term he used for the game of "move first and lose" that opposing snipers played. All of these worked in my favor when I became a marine, and I was one of the best at what I did...and I loved it too.

After about an hour of training, I headed back upstairs and took another shower.

As I stepped out of the shower, I sighed and resigned myself to the fact that it was time to talk to Renamon about this morning. If I didn't, we were just going to drift apart...and I didn't want that. I was lazy so I opted for just a tank top and shorts again, and headed downstairs to see the vixen.

She was still meditating in the living room, though now her position had changed to standing. She was breathing very slowly and deeply as her body moved fluidly from one stance to the next. She looked as if she were dancing...and I was stopped dead in my tracks in awe of her grace. For the first time since meeting her, I could actually admit to myself something...something I'd been ignoring since the beginning.

She was beautiful.

Even with the weights on her ankles and wrists, she was perfectly balanced and in time with herself. As her eyes remained closed, she was completely oblivious to the world around her. All that mattered was the rhythm she felt in her heart and the amazing sense of peace she gained from it all. I assumed that because of how her life had been up until meeting me, she had rarely found a safe time to be able to do what she was doing now...and it showed. Her movements were deft, graceful, and amazing to behold.

I tried to get closer, but I accidentally stepped a little too loudly on the last step, causing it to creak. A blinding white light shot across my face and embedded itself in the wall beside me. I looked to see a small glowing white shard of...something, and then looked back to see Renamon in a combat stance, her arm extended as if she'd thrown it. I then felt something warm running down my face and wiped it, to see blood.

Renamon rushed over to me in shock and placed her paw on my face. "Thank the Sovereigns, you're still alive! Apologies, Daniel."

I winced as her palm touched my cheek and looked at her in surprise. "What the hell _was_ that?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Diamond Storm." She then sighed and took her paw off of my cheek, looking at it carefully. "I'm so sorry, Daniel."

I shrugged. "It's no big deal, Renamon. Accidents happen."

She shook her head and pulled me to the kitchen, then grabbed a rag and pressed it to my cheek. She then placed my own hand upon it and made sure I held it there. Then she stood across from me and hung her head in shame. We sat in silence for a few moments before she looked up at me with fear in her eyes. "It _is_ a big deal. A few inches to the right and I would have killed you."

I shrugged again. "An inch to the left though and you would have missed me completely. Don't split hairs, Renamon. I'm okay."

Again a palatable silence fell over us before she whispered, "I was angry with you..."

When I was honest with myself, I knew exactly why. Going from staying by her side all day to completely ignoring her...it was downright mean, and I didn't really have a valid excuse. I mean, I'd woken up to worse things and didn't react anywhere near that bad. She didn't deserve it, and now I felt like an ass.

I gazed in her direction and sighed. "Renamon, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak out like that."

"It was an accident." she mumbled. She then smiled sheepishly. "I was dreaming about food." The smile quickly evaporated though as she bore her eyes into me. "Am I truly so hideous to you?"

My mouth dropped open in surprise. "W-what?"

Renamon looked down at herself appraising. "I understand I'm a digimon, but are we really so different that I revolt you?"

"What makes you think you revolt me?" I asked, now very concerned.

The vixen rolled her eyes as she slid down against the counter, sitting on the floor in front of me. "I know what a look of disgust looks like, Daniel. It's the same look that you had this morning when you were shouting...whatever it was you were saying."

I shook my head. "Renamon I wasn-"

She cut me off as she continued speaking. "Last night when you held me, or the night before when I had my nightmare, I thought maybe you saw me as more than just a digimon...that maybe we could be friends or..." she trailed off.

"Renamon, I-" I started saying before she cut me off _again_.

"But maybe you were right...maybe I chose wrong. Maybe bringing you here was a mistake on my part." she mumbled softly.

For some reason, to hear her say that cut deep. I wasn't sure why, but to hear those words stung a lot. I tried to speak again, but yet again she cut me off with mumbles of something. By this point I'd had enough, so I tore the rag off of my face and stomped my foot in anger. "Renamon, be quiet and let me speak!" She seemed to snap out of her own thoughts and her eyes shot up to me. I felt the cut on my face bleeding again, but I didn't care at this point. I walked over to the vixen and took a knee in front of her. "First of all, you didn't make a mistake. I like it here with you...and I swear there's no place else I'd rather be."

The digimon snorted and looked away. "I don't believe that. I remember how you acted when you first arrived."

I sighed and lowered my gaze to the ground. "Yes Renamon, it's true. At first, I was very upset." I then looked up at her. "But I'm not anymore. I didn't really have anything back on Earth to leave behind, so I'm actually better off here...with you. I can be whatever I want to be, and do whatever I want to do. There's no limitations." I then took a breath. "Secondly and more importantly, I don't find you revolting or disgusting." I chanced it and placed my palm on her knee, which she looked down at before looking back up at me, waiting for me to continue. "You're amazing, Renamon." At this she drew a sharp breath in, so I continued. "You're strong, caring, loyal, smart, funny, and..."

When I stopped, she grew curious. "And what, Daniel?"

I looked her in the eye, and found I could lie. Not to her, and not to myself...not anymore. "And beautiful, Renamon."

"W-what?" she whispered.

I smiled and rubbed the fur of her knee softly. "I think you're beautiful, Renamon. Not just your looks, but you in general. Who you are is just as beautiful as what you look like." I then stood and pulled her up with me and hugged her tightly before she could react. I slowly felt her own arms wrap around me as well, and I smiled. "I'm sorry I put you through that, Renamon. It was _because_ I find you so amazing that this morning freaked me out so much. I'm sorry and I promise it won't happen again."

As I released her, she held me at arms' length with a smirk. "Maybe I'll test that tomorrow."

"Don't push your luck, or you can find out what it's like to sleep outside." I responded with a grin. For a second she looked a little hurt, but then I rubbed her shoulder. "I'm just messing with you...but in all honesty, I could do without the tongue bath. That's what I have a shower for."

Renamon snorted a laugh and nodded. "Point taken. I'll try and refrain from doing that, even though you taste so good."

I raised an eyebrow as I walked to the sink to wet the rag. "You're not going to eat me in my sleep or anything, are you?"

She shrugged. "Make sure I'm satisfied each night and you won't have to find out." Her eyes widened in realization of what she just implied and she waved her hands frantically. "I meant with food!"

For some reason, I was feeling playful, so I just chuckled and nodded. "Uh huh, sure you did." She blushed and I decided to change the subject, so I pointed to her ankle and wrist weights. "If you want to see something cool, take those off and see how different you feel now with just your physical strength."

She complied and undid all the velcro, then she waved her hands around a few times with a smile. "Wow...I feel a _lot _stronger. I feel like I could pick up your house."

"Probably not the house, but you may be able to lift me now. I weigh two-forty." as she made her way over to me I shook my head. "That wasn't an invitation to test, I was just saying." She seemed a little deflated, but I rubbed her shoulder softly. "Anyway, you'll notice that the longer you keep those on, the stronger you'll get. Eventually you'll get to the point where you don't feel them at all. When you come to that point, we're going to move up to the fifteen-pound weights."

She started strapping the weights back on and looked up at me. "You have weights heavier than this?"

I nodded. "Yep. Five more pounds for each weight, which adds to a total of twenty extra pounds."

"Well, I was unsure at first, but these results already speak for themselves." Renamon responded as she stood.

I nodded and smiled. "Indeed they do. I'm glad you're easing into this so well...you're doing better than I was. I cursed my drill sergeant out a few times, which earned me extra hell." She laughed at me and I nodded. "Yeah...my legs and arms were screaming at me for the next week not to _ever_ make that mistake again."

At this, she laughed loudly at my pain. "Well thankfully, I'm smarter than you are in that respect."

"Yeah...a remark like that would have had me doing laps until the sun went down." I retorted, causing Renamon's ears to lay flat against her head as she bowed it in shame. I picked her chin up with my hand and smiled "But I'll let it slide, since you're awesome."

She smiled and raised an eyebrow. "If I'm really awesome, will you let me take off the weights for the rest of the day?"

"Don't push it." I answered. I then smirked and motioned towards the stove. "Come on, it's about time for supper so you can help me cook again. We're making vegetable stir fry with roasted potato wedges."

* * *

As I expected, Renamon was a quick learner, even with cooking "continental" food. It was times like this that made me completely forget she was a digimon...and the very thought frightened me. It had only been a little over four days, and already she was no longer _just _a digimon to me...she was a person. In my mind, she was slowly becoming a person like me, with hopes, dreams, and fears. She felt emotion, felt pain, and could make an honest connection with me.

But most of all, I genuinely cared about her.

Real care and affection – as a friend or otherwise – was not something I offered to many people in my life, not even before my worthless ex. A marine father and a domineering mother saw to that, and I became very mistrusting of any and all people, _especially_ those that seemed "harmless". People used to call me "cold" or "uncaring"...well they were right. I had always been that way, even as a little kid. After all, letting someone in the wall I'd built around myself would mean trusting them...and trusting them meant giving them the opportunity to hurt me or my family. Losing Jason just made it infinitely worse.

Now there was Renamon.

What scared me about it was not only the fact that I found myself trusting and caring about her, but also that it happened so fast. Four days was phenomenally fast, especially for me. What scared me even more was the fact that even with how awkward this morning was, I found myself forgetting from time to time that she wasn't human. "Digimon" and "human" were slowly becoming just words, and nothing more.

Maybe she was right...maybe we weren't so different.

What I found even scarier was the fact that I was oddly okay with all this. I mean, with all that being the case, should I even _be_ scared anymore? Was there a reason?

_'Of course there is, she's an animal. You and her will _never_ be the same.'_

_**'But she **_**isn't****_ just an animal...she's proven otherwise.'_**

_'Don't try to rationalize it, you _know_ it's wrong!'_

_**'Is it? Why? What makes it so wrong to care about her like another human being?'**_

_'Because she's not one! Look at her!'_

**_'What we look like doesn't make us who we are...or what we are.'_**

At this thought, the little "voice of reason" within me was silent. There was no argument for that, not a logical one anyway. The part of me that was uncomfortable with thinking anything "humane" about the digimon was now very small...and while I still wasn't sure if I could ever be with her romantically, I have to say I was no longer disgusted by the idea. Perhaps a little weirded out by something so new...but not _disgusted_.

"Daniel?" spoke Renamon's soft voice from in front of me. I let my eyes make contact with her gaze and she held out her paw. "Dishes please."

I nodded and handed the plate and glass to her. "T-thanks Renamon."

"No, thank _you_ for cooking." she responded with a soft smile.

I chuckled and stood, not willing to let her wash dishes in _my _house alone. "You helped. That stir fry turned out really well, actually."

At this Renamon rolled her eyes. "Rika's grandmother made stir fry all the time. I learned a thing or two from her."

"So I see." I responded. I then handed a dry towel to her. "I'll wash, you dry."

She giggled and nodded. "Yes sir, captain sir."

"I was actually a sergeant major, but thanks." I responded with a smirk.

The digimon rolled her eyes and pointed to the soapy water that was filling up the sink. "Whatever, I'm not familiar with military ranks. Just wash."

I chuckled and nodded, beginning to wipe the dishes clean.

* * *

After the dishes were washed I was feeling very awkward. Not about the act per se, but because of what kept happening during it. I was wearing shorts, so I very clearly felt as Renamon's tail kept brushing against the back of my knee...and I could have swore that at one point, it curled around my leg.

What made it even more awkward was the fact that I liked it.

After everything had been cleaned up and the house was locked down for the night, I headed upstairs for another shower in hopes that it would somehow clear my mind. It was a long shot, but I hoped for it all the same. Still as I stood in the shower, the thought of the vixen filled my mind. Her bright, soft fur. Her smile, her laugh, her attitude...I found myself enjoying all of it.

I sighed as I stepped out of the shower and looked into the mirror. At that moment I was reminded of just how unsightly my body was. In and around my innumerable tattoos were scars. Each one had a story, and each one taught me just how little I could trust the world. I found myself wondering a very odd thing at that moment: would Renamon find me ugly too?

Why did it matter to me? I mean it shouldn't, right?

Maybe it was me finally cracking or maybe it was my innate mischievousness...but I decided that tonight I'd try a little something out. I pulled my boxers and pajama bottoms on, but I left my shirt off as I opened the washroom door and walked to my room.

* * *

Renamon of course was lying down on her bed looking very peaceful...until I walked in. As soon as she saw me, I could almost feel her eyes running over my exposed torso...and I was nervous, because I didn't know whether it was because of disgust or longing. I kept calm and turned on my stereo, letting soft music pass through the air. Seeing as how it was already late, I flipped the light off and lay down on my bed.

"Goodnight Renamon." I said in a friendly manner.

She said absolutely nothing...I didn't even think she was breathing. For the longest time she was completely silent before responding with, "Th-they're everywhere..."

Well, at least I knew it wasn't longing she had been looking at me with. Oh well...I guess I got my answer. I looked over to find that she was standing at my bedside, her sea blue irises shining in the moonlight. Her sharp eyes were running all over my chest, arms, and stomach. I sighed and nodded. "I've had a rough life, Renamon. The Earth is not a nice place." I then closed my eyes and pointed to the largest scar I had, the one on my stomach. "This one is from a stab wound when I was seventeen." I pointed to a crescent-shaped scar. "This one is from a dog bite." Lastly, I pointed to a jagged scar along my arm. "And this one was from my own stupidity."

My eyes immediately shot open when I felt the soft fur of Renamon's fingers running over my chest. I looked over at the digimon to see...tears? She was crying...why was she crying?

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to protect you, Daniel..."

Oh...that's why.

She sighed and lay her hands flat against my skin, and I could feel her heartbeat through her palm. "I should have been there to watch over you...I'm so sor-"

"It's not your fault, Renamon." I interrupted. I then took her hand in mine and smiled. "Number one, we were likely in completely separate dimensions when these happened. Second, you had Rika to watch out for."

The vixen shook her head and grit her teeth. "That's no excuse. I could have...I should-"

"No..." I stated firmly. I took my free hand and began to stroke hers in an effort to soothe her. "I know that your calling – for Renamon in particular – is to protect and defend your tamer. Well I wasn't your tamer when these happened, so you were in no way liable. If something ever happened to me, I wouldn't blame you anyway...but even by your logic, you can't be held accountable for this." I then chuckled as I released her hand and ran my own over my chest. "And you thought you were ugly...that's funny."

She promptly shook her head. "You're _not_ ugly, Daniel."

I barked a laugh and pounded my chest. "Are we referring to the same Daniel here?"

"Stop it." Renamon stated firmly, and this got my attention. I looked up at her and noticed she had stopped crying, and was now looking on me with a scowl. "Humans have a saying that says 'beauty is in the eye of the looker', right?"

"Beholder." I corrected.

She rolled her eyes. "Well whatever. Your 'beholder' here says that you are not ugly in any sense of the word. You're strong, your courageous, you're caring and kind." The vixen then placed her palm over my heart. "And you have a strong heart. It's bruised, it's scarred, and it's even broken in some places...but it's strong. The good thing about injuries is that they always heal, and to anyone that matters, what it _looks_ like doesn't matter." She smiled softly. "It doesn't matter to _me_."

As my knees were bent to allow room for her, I very clearly felt as Renamon's tail wrapped around my ankle. I looked at her tail and then her with a smirk. "Oh, so you _did_ do that earlier."

Even in the dim light of the moonlight night, I could see a faint pink dusting her face. "It's an act of affection among Renamon..."

While she didn't say it outright, the truth was out in the open...and I was surprised to find that instead of shock, I felt relief. I smiled at her and caressed her cheek softly. "Affection...I think I can roll with that." After a year of no desire whatsoever, I felt emotions that were buried for over a year come bubbling to the surface and before she could stand up, I yanked Renamon forcefully onto my bed beside me. As I expected, she yelped in surprise (much like I had the other night), but once she realized what had happened, she smiled. I grinned back and held her tight against me. "I think tonight, _I'm _the one that wants a cuddle-buddy."

It was times like this I was glad she was smaller than me, as she lay half on top of me with a grin. "I think I can find it within myself to oblige."

As her muzzle nuzzled into the crook of my neck, I held her close against me...and for the first time, it felt very right. I grinned as the soft tunes filled the air. "You know, I'm still gonna wear you out tomorrow."

"Are you now?" she responded in a playful tone.

I nodded. "Just because you're more special doesn't mean you get special treatment in training, Renamon."

She sighed and cutely rubbed her cheek against mine affectionately. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Daniel."

As my eyelids started to fall heavy, I looked at the vixen one more time and kissed her forehead on impulse, causing her to gasp. I closed my eyes and whispered a goodnight before darkness overtook me.


	6. Ch 6: There Were Two

**A/N: Hey all! Frostbreaker here with another great chapter for all of you. Your patience is very much appreciated, so please R&R and let me know what you think.**

**To zsd brony – Well I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Things are going to heat up here, so hold on to your pants...or shorts...or skin or something.**

**To kn4sakura – It is indeed nice to see a consolidation of emotions between two people who _obviously_ feel for each other. It's something that happens so rare, so it's always to be treasured, I believe.**

**To jjoutlaw – Well I like my stories to be realistic. Only an idiot jumps into the sack with someone they barely know...and unfortunately that makes up most of the USA. Yay 'Murica!**

**To wolfoftheabyss5 – _Rm: Meditation is something anyone can do, with or without practice. It simply involves calming your body and mind and finding your center. It does take practice to get useful results, but it provides increased focus and is a great stress-reliever._**

_**Dl: I'm hanging pretty good so far. As far as cards, I'm not sure. I have a few downstairs in a box in the basement, but they were just toys. I wonder if they'll work...**_

**To callmeBaby'08 – Ah Christmas...what a great time to be with those you love. Well I'm glad my story can elicit such a feeling within you. Enjoy.**

**To wg12290 – Well thanks. Only thing I can say.**

**Music choice: F-777's _Chinese Dance Machine_ album.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with any of the Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners. **

* * *

Chapter 6: There Were Two

**Renamon's PoV**

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, I awoke to a bright lovely world. I was not haunted by dreams of pain and misery, nor was I plagued by the loneliness that had followed me these past five years. Instead, I woke next to the warm body of Daniel. In honesty, I couldn't really call him a "mate", but we were definitely closer than mere friends. I knew humans had a word for this phase, but I was unsure of what it was called. Nonetheless, I didn't care at the moment. I felt needed and wanted again after so long...and it made me happy.

I decided that for today at least, I would make Daniel breakfast. After taking me in and caring about me regardless of who or what I was, I believe he deserves a little care in return. Besides, I would be untruthful to say that I wanted to get closer to him...and a good meal and company is the perfect way to do so.

I extracted myself from the bed with little trouble, seeing as how during the night, _I _ended up being the one who was wrapped around Daniel. Luckily for me, he did not wake as easily as normal, but I'd like to think it was because of my "ninja skills", as he called them. As I stood and stretched however, I couldn't help but let my gaze linger upon my tamer. Seeing his bare chest in the morning light for the first time caused me to gasp without meaning to.

The scars...there were so many.

Some were thick, others were barely noticeable...but it was clear that his life had been a hard one. Perhaps this is what Rika had meant when she referred to the darker side of Earth. Daniel however, was living proof that someone could go through the roughest of what life can offer...and still come out the other side a good person. Rika had also once told me that "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Looking at my tamer's marred flesh made me rethink that though. It was clear that some of these wounds _should_ have killed him...and while I was glad he had lived, I felt pain within me at the thought of him having to go through all of..._that_. While he had made it clear that he did not wish for me to put myself in danger on his behalf, I found myself wanting to anyway. I didn't want any more harm to come to him...for both our sakes. His because of his obvious physical danger, and mine because I couldn't bear to think of losing him.

I sighed at the though of him and leaned down, kissing his forehead softly as he had mine the previous night...and with that, I headed downstairs.

I succeeded in making my way to the ground floor without causing so much as a creak in the house, and set about cooking a meal with what I could find. I was only truly proficient with sushi, udon, and stir fry, so I knew the meal would be simple by comparison. Still, I wanted to do something special for him, and at the moment this is what I could think of. Well, that is untrue. I _could_ think of other things, but I did not want to frighten or disgust him...so for the moment I kept them confined to my own mind. I was still unsure of the extent of his feelings with me, and I did not want to risk losing him.

It was then that I heard his stereo turn on upstairs to some unholy-sounding noise that at some points sounded like a feline was getting skinned alive. This was followed by deep growls of incoherent words and the sound of a door opening and closing, then the sound of the shower running. Luckily for me his shower was short – possibly only five minutes – and I heard two doors open and close again before the awful noise stopped. I sighed in relief and continued cooking.

* * *

The meal was finished just as my tamer descended the stairs, and I could see the surprise in his eyes as he beheld what I did for him.

**Daniel's PoV**

So, not only did Renamon somehow get out of the bed and downstairs without waking me but she also made a pepper and cheese omelet with orange juice. That girl is amazing...and if things keep going like this, I could easily start to think I'm living at a five-star hotel.

I sat down at my dining table and began to eat as Renamon took her place across from me. I took a deep whiff of the meal and smiled. "Renamon, this smells great. Thanks a lot." I took a bite and savored the spicy taste before swallowing. "Don't think this is getting you out of training though."

She then giggled that giggle I liked so much and smiled. "I should hope not. I'm just now warming up to this training."

I grinned evilly. "Not after today you won't."

After breakfast was finished, we once again were geared up and standing outside my house...but this time I had a different plan in mind for us.

"Okay Renamon, here's what's going to happen:" I started with a grin, "we're going to go through our normal morning jog...but this time you're going to transition into a 'high-knee' form. This means that with each stride," I began to demonstrate, "your thighs should be hitting your stomach. If they don't, you're not doing it right."

She smirked back at me with confidence. "Please...have you forgotten how limber I am?"

I shrugged and looked towards the path. "How limber you are plays a part, but not as much as strength and endurance. The other thing is that I want you to keep up with me the entire time. If you fall behind, you're going to do suicides until the sun goes down."

"Suicides..." she recited, "do I even want to know what those are?"

I shrugged again. "Don't fall behind and you won't have to find out."

Even with all of the extra weight on, she stood tall and confident. "I can do this and more. Let's go, Daniel."

I smirked and snorted a laugh. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

"Daniel, you're a bastard!" a certain fox-digimon groaned out.

I rolled my eyes and growled. "Renamon, I'm not going to put up with this. Get up now or I'm leaving you out here alone. You said you could take it, so don't wuss out on me."

"You _never_ said it was going to be this bad!" she nearly screamed as her voice came back to her with each gulp of fresh air.

I shrugged. "That's why they call them 'suicides' Renamon...not because you kill yourself doing them, but because you'll want to after you're done." I looked up at the sky to see that the sun was starting to set after such a long and hot day. "Come on Renamon, you're almost done. Do ten more to the line and back and we'll call it a day." She looked up at me with the "puppy dog" face, but I just shook my head. "When we're not working, that might get me...but right now we're training. Now get up and get going. The sooner you do your last set, the sooner you get to go inside and have a hot shower."

She pouted for a moment before sighing and standing, albeit on shaky feet. "Alright fine. You better make this up to me."

"Normally I'd say no because you _did_ bring this on yourself." I responded, which caused Renamon to frown. "However...I guess I could make an exception provided you get up _right now_."

"You have _no_ sense of humor." she sneered at me.

I shrugged. "I'm a marine. I don't have a sense of humor whenever training or battle maneuvers are involved."

Renamon sighed again before taking her mark and running to the line, then back again. She did this nine more times before collapsing on the ground next to me. She shakily held her hand in a "thumbs up" before letting it fall to the ground.

I crouched and rubbed her cheek softly. "Good job." I then proceeded to unstrap and pull the weight vest off of her while she was still laying down, along with the arm and ankle weights. "Alright, you head upstairs and clean up. I'll clean all our gear and then I'll be up shortly, okay?"

She didn't say anything but nodded as she stood up and walked away, clearly feeling better without the weight upon her. I chuckled as I began to wipe down everything.

* * *

I arrived in the house about twenty minutes later only to find Renamon asleep on the sofa...again. I simply smiled at her as I made my way upstairs and cleaned myself up. As I was in the shower though, I couldn't help but worry about what I was doing. Was I being too hard on her? Part of me wanted to go easy on her because of...well, because of how I felt about her. I was still unsure exactly how or how much I cared about her, but it made me want to be sweet and caring all the time. Something inside told me that she wouldn't want me to give her special treatment though...not in the long run anyway. She was a warrior, and I knew she could take it. But still...there were times when I could see the soft vulnerable core of her being. It was a part of her that she rarely showed, but it was a part that I could connect with. I played the tough guy act well. Being both a marine and coming from Oakland, California...I had to be able to do that. The truth was that who I really am is far from that. I hated acting like a hard ass and I hated feeling the need to intimidate strangers.

I guess the rough area of California will do that to you though.

Whenever Renamon would let her guard down and be who she really was, I could almost see myself in her...as if I were looking at a mirror. Like me, she had been forced to protect herself – physically, mentally, and emotionally. We were alike in that we had both suffered physical and emotional pain, as well as the loss of loved ones...and accordingly, we both reacted in similar ways. Both of us grew up in our own fields of battle, forced to adapt or die. In all honesty I was surprised I hadn't been attacked yet in this world. I mean, a lone house in the middle of nowhere stuck out like a black guy in Russia. Maybe that's why I was so tense lately too. I mean, if we got attacked I'd at least be able to know what we were dealing with. I sighed as these thoughts began to die down and turned off the shower, dried myself, and headed to my room. Renamon was still asleep in the living room, so I quickly changed into a pair of shorts and headed downstairs.

**Renamon's PoV**

_Food..._

_Food!_

_FOOD!_

I woke to the heavenly smell of...something tasty, and opened my eyes to see a plate of it being held in front of me by Daniel.

He smiled and gestured to the table. "Come have dinner, Renamon. You need it after that workout today."

I took the plate in my hands and stood to follow him to the oaken table. "Thank you, Daniel."

"Don't sweat it. You complained just like everyone does, but you still worked hard." he responded, still smiling. "I'm proud of you, Renamon. You did really well."

I know that this was the soldier side of him speaking, but it was also very sincere. It touched me to be praised by him. With Rika, I had always known that she thought very highly of me and trusted me...but like my past self, she was one of few words. It was different and special when Daniel would say those thoughts out loud. It was a truth we both had known, but to hear that truth spoken into the world conveyed not only respect, but care as well.

I swallowed a bite of potato and bowed my head in respect. "Thank you, Daniel...that means a lot to me."

"I know it does." he responded simply.

It was responses like this that would have me wondering about his true nature, and who he was as both a person and a sentient being. It was clear that there was a lot more to him than meets the eye. There was a part of him that was stern and commanding...a part that demanded respect and reverence. Then...there was this. Behind the warrior was a calm and caring man that was both vulnerable and strong. I could tell it was a part that he wished not to expose often, for fear of being damaged further. Upon hearing about his past, I could not fault him for it. After all, I had my own demons to confront...some of which I still ran from.

Whenever I was around Daniel though, I didn't feel like I had to run anymore – I felt free.

Free of the burdens of my past, and free from the fear of being alone. With Daniel, I could be who I was meant to be...who I _wanted _to be. The fact that these were new thoughts frightened me though. What was happening to me? Was I changing somehow that I was unaware of? What was my future? These and other questions plagued me as I stayed silent throughout the rest of the meal.

**Daniel's PoV**

She was worried about something, and it was showing very strongly with every movement she made.

When I first met Renamon, I found it hard to read her. I mean let's face it, a Renamon's face is _not _the most expressive face there is. After getting to know her though, I was able to tell the ins and outs of her mentality and emotions. The subtle flicking of her ears, the way her tail would become stiff instead of flowing comfortably...it all showed. More than anything though, it was her eyes that gave her away the most. At first I thought that blue-upon-black eyes weren't expressive at all, but whenever I looked into them, it's like I saw what was inside. The inner turmoil or sadness that had often plagued her...or the rare moments of true happiness that I was privileged enough to be a part of. All of it was laid bare for me to see, and feel.

I hated seeing her unhappy, but luckily after yesterday, it was a rare occurrence. She was happy _most_ of the time now, only becoming sad or stressed when she was left alone to think. I was no stranger to debilitating thoughts, and I knew the best thing for such a person was to keep busy in some way. For the most part, she took care of it herself through meditation...but one couldn't meditate all day, could they?

After last night, I had made a vow with myself to make sure she felt warm and cared for...so that she didn't turn out like me.

* * *

The night closed up pretty quickly for us, and I found myself again watching a movie, with her settled onto my lap. I figured that since we watched a "man" movie the other night, we'd settle for a guilty pleasure of mine..._The Proposal _(yeah yeah, make your fucking jokes).

As I expected, she was skeptical at first, but quickly fell in love with it. As much as she tried to hide it, there _was_ a more feminine side to Renamon, so in addition to satisfying her hunger for information about how humans operated, it also allowed her to relax and enjoy the emotional aspect as well. She constantly asked questions, and I ended up having to tell her to "be quiet and watch the movie" multiple times. This earned me a few pouts from her, but she came to enjoy the parts she asked about.

It eventually came to the scene where Ryan Reynolds' character meets with Sandra Bullock's character back at the office, to tell her he loves her and really wants to get married. The emotional tension caused Renamon to let a tear or so slip from her eye, but she quickly wiped them away and looked up at me.

"You humans have such a confusing process for choosing a mate." she grumbled.

I raised my eyebrow at this and asked, "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "First they hate each other, now they love each other. How does that work?"

I shook my head. "Bear in mind that this is _not_ typical. With that being said, history has shown that mortal enemies can sometimes fall in love. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from...if it's meant to be, it's meant to be." I looked down at her. "Why, what's your ideal way of courtship?"

She shrugged again. "There isn't really such a thing as courtship for digimon. We select mates by who is the strongest and most skillful in battle. It assures mutual survival and upon deletion, it assures the strongest code will create new digimon where we once inhabited."

"Wait, so the only way you can procreate is through death? That's depressing." I responded sadly.

At this, Renamon blushed. "Well...it's not the _only_ way, it just happens to be the most efficient. Where once there was two, there will be four."

I raised an eyebrow. "So kinda like mitotic cells...okay, I can roll with that. What's the other way?"

"Biological..." she responded with a deep blush.

I nodded. "Oh, so like humans and other mammals then. What so 'inefficient' about that way?"

She sighed and sat up beside me. "Because first of all, we can only produce one offspring at a time..."

"And the other reason?" I asked for clarification.

Renamon looked directly into my eyes with a nervous expression. "Because we must bio-bond with another."

I nodded slowly. "Uh huh...you're going to have to explain the implications of that because I have no idea what that means."

The vixen closed her eyes and placed her hand against my bare chest. "To bio-bond, a digimon connects its life with another. This makes it so that the two are forever connected through a bond stronger than any you humans know of. It merges the two lives into one life force. One's pain becomes the other's...and death is shared. It is a permanent change that cannot be reversed. Because of the danger that is posed through the everyday life as a digimon, that specific pairing is strongly discouraged." She then smiled. "The upside is that it makes the two closer than either ever thought possible. Thoughts and experiences can be shared, as well as power. So you see, it offers great power and strength, but also great vulnerability. Because of this, it is an act that has rarely been performed."

The amount of information that was just given to me was beyond anything I'd ever thought possible. To think that not only could Renamon potentially reproduce as humans do, but also can literally mate for life...it was awe-inspiring. To think that there was such a thing...it derailed nearly everything I thought possible. With the divorce rate of humans being near 50%, I knew that humans could never be trusted with such a thing, even if it_ were_ possible. This last piece of information tore away my last barrier against Renamon and my connections with her...making her into just another person to me.

No, not _just _another person..._the_ other person. _My_ other.

The flood of emotion and longing within me was too powerful, and before I could stop myself I had pressed my lips to her cheek, just along her violet marking under her eye. It was soft and quick, and I pulled away in shock. "Renamon, I'm sorry...I didn't me-MMMPH!"

She responded by pressing her own lips to mine in a soft, pleasurable kiss. There was no voice this time telling me it was weird, and no knot in my stomach that made me feel ill...just an overwhelming feeling of elation. I snaked my arms around her and pressed my hands against her spine, pulling her closer to me until I could feel her racing heart against my chest. She responded by letting out a growl and pushing me down onto my back, which she quickly took control of by mounting my lap and attacking my mouth with her own. Our tongues met in a dance of supremacy while I ran my hands over her stomach, sides, and thighs.

Her moans into my mouth just turned me on even more, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I found this situation odd. Just four days ago, I was still coming to terms with being here...and I saw her _only_ as a digital being and nothing more. Now, I was passionately making out with the vixen, and I loved every second of it. That just caused a question to arise within my mind (yes, while making out. I multitask like crazy): how long had I wanted this? I mean, was I just denying my feelings because of my hang-ups? As I elicited a few more deep moans from Renamon, I realized that it was true...I had been hiding from it. I had wanted her so badly it hurt, and yet I turned away from it and denied everything. Then again, I was good at denial. For almost a month after his death, I had denied Jason was even gone. But there was one truth I could no longer deny:

I was falling in love with Renamon at a startling speed.

I couldn't stop myself at this point, and my hands started roaming all over her...but when they reached her chest, I was disappointed. In my clouded mind, I had forgotten that she didn't have breasts.

Well...that's a downer.

Still, she seemed to enjoy the feeling quite a lot, so I continued rubbing through her mane and along the back of her head as I continued kissing her for all I was worth. The pheromones she was secreting just added to the atmosphere, and for some reason the scent spurred me on even more.

At this point I felt sorry for Renamon for what was to come.

* * *

My eyes were closed as Renamon and I gasped for air, my partner laying on my chest covered in sweat. As she was in spasms on top of me, I started laughing.

"Wh...wh-what are you laughing about?" she asked between breaths.

I sucked in a few gulps of air to compose myself, then looked at her with a smile. "You're twitching...and you yell _really_ loudly."

This caused her to blush, but she nodded. "That's only happened once before..."

"When was that?" I asked, gaining control of my breathing.

Her blush deepened further, now spreading to the base of her ears. "W-well, I was taking a shower two days ago and..."

I chuckled. "Yeah...I thought I heard you up there."

She nodded softly. "Just because I'm missing certain..._parts_...doesn't mean my body doesn't react the same way."

I placed my hand on her shaking leg and grinned. "So I see. I have to say, it's a pretty big ego boost to see that."

She huffed and turned her face away. "Be silent and stop making fun of me."

I laughed loudly and sat up with her, then motioned to the stairwell. "Go take a shower. I'll clean up down here and take one after you're done." She nodded and headed to the shower, leaving me to clean up downstairs before heading to bed. Once I heard the door close, I sighed and rubbed my temples. The mere thought of everything that had happened was causing a migraine. I mean I was happy, but how and how fast it had happened was doing my head in.

Whatever...things were working out fine, so I wasn't going to think on it any longer.

I must have been buried in my own thoughts longer than I imagined, because I heard the washroom door open and close before my bedroom door did the same. I sighed and locked up the house and turned on the alarm system before heading upstairs to clean up.

* * *

**Renamon's PoV**

I was beyond words at the moment.

Daniel and I had shared my first kiss, and then my second...explode-thing that left me a quivering mess. It was incredible in every sense, and I found myself wanting more and more. It was odd, as I've never had these feelings or thoughts before meeting Daniel...but then again I had never been interested in another until him either. I do remember once that Rika had spoken of the concept of love, and how it made one feel. Was that it?

Was I falling in love with Daniel? Though I suppose the better question was: is he falling in love with me?

Rika had taught me much, but human customs were still confusing to me. Many times deceit and lies would play a part...but somehow, I found myself trusting that Daniel would not lie to me. I hated to think in such terms, but he needed me. He would have nothing to gain by being untruthful...

At least I hoped this was the case.

My thoughts were interrupted however as I heard the washroom door open from the hallway, so I smirked and waited for my tamer.

**Daniel's PoV**

I opened the door to my room to find my bed already occupied...by Renamon...and she was posing very seductively on her side.

I smiled and closed the door behind me as I threw my towel into the hamper in the corner of the room. "You know, it's a good thing you're missing certain human aspects, or you'd be giving me a nosebleed right now."

Her cheeky side apparently kicked in and she made a fist. "I can still give you one if you want."

"No, I think I'm good without any more bleeding." I responded, pointing to a bite mark on my shoulder. "I believe you've already bled me enough for one day, thank you."

I made my way over to her and she examined the mark with a sheepish smile. "Sorry Daniel. I suppose I became more than a little excited."

I smiled warmly and held her hand in mine. "Of all the scars I have, I actually like this one. I'll always be reminded of today by it...and what a good day it is."

Renamon let forth a predatory grin. "It's not over yet, Daniel." She then pulled me back onto the bed until I was laying on top of her. "I've still loads of energy to burn...and so do you."

I smirked and nodded. "I hope you're ready then, because this time I'm not holding back."

"What do you meeEEAAH BY THE SOVEREIGNS!" she shouted as I orally attacked a sensitive area I'd found along her neck.

I pulled back and smirked. "And that's just the beginning." She smiled back at me and I turned off the light, feeling very excited to not be sleeping tonight.

Poor girl doesn't know what's she's gotten into...


	7. Ch 7: The Truth Shines Through

**A/N: Frostbreaker here with another chapter for all of you! Please enjoy and R&R.**

**To wolfoftheabyss5 – Well I've been busy with moving and some other things I won't mention. Can't write effectively without a computer.**

_**Rm: The bond can be done with any two willing parties. One must be a digimon, but the other does not have to be. I hope that perhaps with time, Daniel would warm up to it. It is a thought that both frightens and excites me, though.**_

**To callmeBaby'08 – Thou art commanded to get excited...enjoy.**

**To kn4sakura – I don't do lemons for any of my stories because I suck at writing them. They always just come off as awkward...but I will be rather descriptive.**

**To zsd brony – Hmm...I'll look into that.**

**Music choice: _Iconoclast _and _Paradise Lost_ albums, both by Symphony X.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with any of the**** Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

Chapter 7: The Truth Shines Through

"Daniel get up right now!" I heard a voice shout from beside me.

I jumped out of my bed and promptly fell over, only to be yanked up by two large powerful arms and pulled down the stairs. "W-what the fuck is going on?" Renamon didn't answer. "Can I at least get dressed first?"

"No time! Tamer globes on the way!" she shouted as she pushed me down to my basement.

I stopped when we reached my vault. "Wait, what? What the hell are you talking about?"

She shook her head and pointed to the vault door. "Just get your rifle and pistol and I'll explain on the way. Please trust me."

I rolled my eyes and nodded. "Fine...you haven't given me reason to distrust you yet I suppose."

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, we were sitting on my roof as I pulled on a shirt. "So can you _please_ tell me what's going on now?"

She sighed but didn't break her gaze with the vast plain before us. "There are player avatars heading for us right now." She looked at me. "The avatar bodies of humans who think this is just a game...they've heard about us somehow and are headed this way. To them, when a digimon or tamer is defeated, they simply disappear...but for us, that means death. They don't know we're real, Daniel."

I shrugged. "Okay, that's understandable. What about these 'globe' things you were talking about?"

She pointed into the distance and I held my scope to my eye, looking where she was pointing. Sure enough there were four or five tamers approaching, each with a digimon partner and these strange light globes following them from behind. "Those globes are what connect the humans to the game and allow them to see. Think of it as the camera that allows you to see the world."

"Hmm...yeah I always wondered how you knew when you were looking directly at the real me." I responded with a grin.

She nodded. "Well that's how. Basically any being with one of those following them is not a real human or digimon." She patted the AS50 in my hands. "That's what you have this for. Today is your first lesson in survival in this world: delete, or be deleted." She pointed to the approaching group again. "Only delete the digimon that have a globe following them. Those that don't are real digimon, and I think I can save them if we can just talk to them."

I raised an eyebrow as I looked at her. "Save them? They're trying to come and kill us, aren't they?"

She nodded. "Yes, but only because their tamer wishes it...and like I said, the tamers don't know we're real. If we can separate them from their tamers, we might be able to coerce them to leave us alone."

"And if we can't?" I asked as I lined up my sight with the first target.

"Deletion." I heard Renamon reply coldly. I looked back at her and she shrugged. "I apologize if that seems cruel, but as I said, survival comes first...for you, and for me."

I nodded and turned my focus back to the open plain, only to find that one team was missing. "Umm Renamon, one of them aren't there anymore."

She squinted and nodded. "They're still here, somewhere. Take care of the ones you can, Daniel. I'm going to keep an eye on things from a secluded location. Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."

I nodded and fixed the scope to my eye again and lined up my shot on the first target. I decided I'd go for the tamers first, so I quickly aimed right in the center of the forehead of the first one. It was uncanny how real the avatar looked, but that glowing ball following it confirmed that this was just a simulation of life. I took a few deep breaths before firing my first shot. My target was struck and instantly burst into particles of...something, but this also caused the two others to look around for me, and one of them was smart enough to run into the nearby forest. The other was not, and I picked both him and his digimon off with ease.

"Diamond Storm!" I heard Renamon shout from the forest, and I saw a spray of particles that told me something or someone had been deleted. I was so worried that it may have been Renamon, but she soon came flying out of the trees and landed next to me with a grin. "Found them. How are things on your end?"

"I lost one whe-hold on a minute..." I said, taking aim and firing. "Never mind, got him." I then rested the rifle on the ground in front of me. "There's a digimon without a tamer in those trees now. It looked like a red dinosaur."

Renamon raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's what you saw?"

I nodded. "I mean it was through a scope, but yeah...that's what I saw. It was the only real digimon. Why?"

Through her body language, I could tell there was something she was keeping from me...but she turned away and pointed. "It's probably nothing. Come, we have to find it."

I hopped off of the house and began to follow her into the forest, my Colt 1911 .45 at the ready.

* * *

We arrived in the general vicinity of where the avatar had been, and Renamon stopped me with a hand to my chest. She looked me in the eyes and whispered, "It's close. Let me handle this." She then walked slowly into a small meadow and cleared her throat. "We don't want to hurt you...we just want to talk. Please, allow us that."

"Pyro Sphere!" shouted a voice from beside me, and I was tackled to the side by Renamon as a massive fireball flew by.

I looked up at her and nodded. "Thanks for that. I almost got fried."

"I don't believe you! You just deleted my tamer!" shouted an oddly childlike voice from the trees.

Renamon stood up and huffed in frustration, pointing to a tree in front of us. "You're behind that tree, and I'm stronger than you. If I wanted to delete you, I could." The other digimon was silent for a moment before coming out from behind the tree, causing Renamon to gasp in surprise. "G-Guilmon?"

The small reptilian stood up tall and looked Renamon in the eye. "Do I know you?" The vixen enveloped him in a hug, which he became very nervous about. "Umm...nice to meet you too?"

Renamon then held the crimson digimon at arm's length. "You don't remember me?"

"Umm, I don't...sorry." Guilmon responded.

I pulled Renamon beside and whispered, "Renamon, just because he's a Guilmon doesn't mean he's _your_ Guilmon."

She shook her head. "This doesn't make sense though. Guilmon didn't exist until Takato created him, which means this is no coincidence...it can't be..."

"I'm not sure I follow..." I responded in confusion.

She pointed to the awkwardly standing red digimon and whispered, "I mean that there was no such thing as a Guilmon before Takato created one...which means there shouldn't be any more."

I shrugged. "He doesn't know who you are though, so it can't be him."

She gazed at the reptilian digimon for a moment before looking back to me. "I don't know...this can't be just coincidence. Could he stay with us?"

"What? No! He just tried to barbeque me." I responded angrily.

"You both know I can hear you, right?" shouted Guilmon in annoyance. He walked over to me and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry I tried to burn you...I got scared...but you _did_ destroy my tamer."

I shook my head. "It wasn't real. You know that little floating globe thing that followed your tamer? Well that was proof of your tamer's nonexistence. It's a way for those from the outside to see in. What you saw was a simulation...nothing more."

"Hmm...I always wondered what those were. I thought maybe they were special or something." he responded.

"They are in a way." I clarified with a smile. "They mark who's real and who's not. If you have one, you're not real...so trust me, you don't want one. From where I was, I could have picked you off easily...but it's because I knew you were a real digimon that I didn't."

"So wait," the slightly shorter Guilmon started, "you mean I've been partnered with a fake?"

Renamon shrugged and nodded. "Yes. The person that controls that thing from the outside is real...but what you see here is not." Guilmon lowered his head in shame and frustration, but the vixen pulled his chin up to look at her. "However, the both of us are every bit as real as you are...and if you're willing, we'd like to invite you to stay near us for safety and companionship. There aren't many like us that I know of, so we need to stick together."

Guilmon looked to me and I just shrugged. "Don't look at me, it was her idea."

"But tamers can only be partnered with one digimon, right?" the reptilian asked.

Renamon looked to me with a smirk, then back to Guilmon. "There is no rule saying that a digimon _has_ to be partnered with a tamer...and if he does something you don't like, you can burn him.."

"Whoa wait a minute, this doesn't sound safe anymore." I said while stepping back.

The kitsune placed her hand on my shoulder and rolled her eyes. "That was a joke, Daniel...I told you I would always keep you safe. If this were going to hurt you or even have a chance at that, do you really think I would suggest it?"

"I guess not..." I responded with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah." she said before looking back at Guilmon. "So, with that all handled, what do you say?"

Guilmon looked at the both of us and shrugged. "It sounds good to me, thanks Renamon."

She nodded and gestured to the house in the distance. "Come...we should get inside before it gets late."

Our new companion nodded and followed us as we began the long trek home. As we did so however, I walked ahead with Renamon and whispered, "You know that we're not going to have any privacy now, right?"

At this she looked to me worriedly. "I...I hadn't thought about that."

I rolled my eyes. "No, you didn't. God bless your protective nature Renamon, but I'd prefer if from now on you think a little more in-depth from now on...for both our sakes." I glanced back at the other digimon before looking back to Renamon with a smile. "However, the basement is sound-proofed and has a bed and everything already down there. With a few modifications, I could make it into a little apartment so Guilmon could have his own space."

"Do I even want to know why you sound-proofed your house?" the vixen asked in interest.

I shrugged. "I like to have an orgy every other day, and people were starting to complain, so..." Renamon gasped, and I chuckled. "That was a joke, Renamon. No, it's because I like to do some target practice with my sidearm sometimes, and the shooting range was so far away from where I lived."

"I'm not familiar with the customs of humans in society as far as rules, but couldn't you get in trouble for that?" she asked.

I shrugged. "That's what the soundproofing is for. People won't know I'm doing anything if they can't hear it, now can they?"

We both then heard a loud growl from behind us to and looked to see Guilmon holding his stomach. He looked up at us with a bright smile and stated, "I'm hungry."

Renamon looked to me and smirked. "Well perhaps he is not the Guilmon I remember, but his mannerisms are the same at least." She then looked back at the red-skinned digimon and smiled. "We'll fix us all something to eat when we make it back."

The three of us rounded the cliff that partially hid my house, and Guilmon gasped at what he saw. "Umm, Danielmon?"

I thought it was a little strange that he put "mon" on the end of my name, but whatever. I looked to him and raised an eyebrow. "Yes Guilmon?"

"We need to hide the top of your house. Everyone can see it over the top of the cliff. There's been a lot of talk about you in the towns, so I think we should hide." he responded urgently.

I didn't question him and just nodded, turning to Renamon. "Renamon, I'll need your help. I need you to grab some big boulders and place them along the edge of the cliff so that it hides the house and doesn't look too conspicuous." I next turned to Guilmon. "I need _you_ to keep watch for Renamon while she's doing that and make sure no one's coming. While the two of you are handling that, I'll prepare dinner for the two of us."

**Renamon's PoV**

Without waiting to see if my tamer would say more, I quickly looked around and spotted multiple large stones that could be used as a cover, and began to quickly roll them up the hill and placed them on top of the hill in such a way that it hid the house, but still looked natural. Because of my newly-found physical strength and digital strength, the process was much easier than I thought it would be, and within a few minutes I was finished.

I breathed out a sigh of relief as I finished, and decided to relax a bit before heading inside...so I took my place next to Guilmon. He was searching the open plain for any sign of movement with his eyes, having an oddly focused look on his face. It was times like this that he truly reminded me of _my_ Guilmon, but I had to remind myself that despite all appearances, he was not.

This only caused what he said next to completely stun me.

"Renamon, I'm sorry..." he breathed out quietly, as if speaking too loudly would cause the very air to break.

I raised my eyebrow and looked at him as he continued to scan the field. "Sorry for what, Guilmon?"

"For pretending..." he responded simply.

"Guilmon," I started, steadily getting more confused, "I'm not sure I understand what you're apologizing for."

He was still and silent for a few moments longer before latching onto me with lightning-speed, embracing me in a strong hug. He breathed a sad sigh and shook his head. "For pretending I didn't remember you...for pretending to be different."

"W-what?" I squeaked out in utter surprise. My muscles locked, and I couldn't even breathe. Was he being serious? No...this had to be a joke. He couldn't...he...

"I couldn't be the truth in front of Danielmon. I'm so sorry I lied...I didn't want to." he whispered in my ear.

I suddenly got a hold of myself and shoved him away. "N-no, this can't be possible! I..." I pressed my palm to my chest. "I absorbed your data...you couldn't..."

"You didn't get all of it, Renamon." he responded, gesturing to his head. "I promised Takatomon that I would always look after my friends...because that's what a good friend does." He then used a claw and pointed to a scar that ran along his belly. "Just like a cut can heal up, data can repair itself if there's enough time and it wants to bad enough." Guilmon looked up at me with a smile. "I couldn't just leave you, Renamon...you needed me. I came back for you."

That was it. Against all odds, it was _him_. Only _my_ Guilmon would remember his old tamer, Takato...but, "Guilmon, why did you hide it from Daniel then?"

"Because I don't trust him." the reptilian growled out. "He's nothing like Takato...and I don't like that."

I shook my head. "First of all, you're wrong about that. He has kindness and goodness within him...he was just in soldier-mode out here. Secondly, I can trust him. Isn't that good enough for you?"

"You trusted Rikamon too, and she hated me." he spat in annoyance.

Annoyance from Guilmon wasn't something I was accustomed to. By now it was clear that this somehow _was_ the plucky dragon-like digimon I remembered, but some things were different. He was much more wary of strangers, and he wasn't as innocent and carefree as he used to be. The core of his personality was the same, but he was much more complex now. I found myself not actually being able to predict how he would act or what he would say anymore, and this baffled me.

Even with this being the case, I knew I could still appeal to his strong sense of justice. "Guilmon, you are right in thinking that Daniel is different. He is _very _different from both Takato and Rika...but I've found that those differences are not a bad thing. He holds Takato's big heart and kindness to friends, but he also has Rika's desire to become stronger and her cold and calculating mind when it's needed. He is different in the sense that he's had to experience some of the very worst of what life has had to offer...so much so that he began to mutilate his own body."

Guilmon was still not completely convinced, but he was now interested. "He what?"

"He self-mutilated – he hurt his body because his heart ached." I responded.

"W-why would he do that?" Guilmon asked in surprise.

I shrugged. "For some reason, it made him feel better. He blamed himself for something that wasn't his fault, and thought he needed to punish himself for it."

The dragon digimon's face scrunched up as he thought. "That doesn't make sense. If you're already hurting, why would you hurt yourself?"

I stood and nodded. "I agree." I then looked to the house. "Come, let's make our way to our new home." I then looked back at Guilmon. "Just give him a chance, Guilmon...that's all I'm asking."

Thankfully, my tact seemed to have worked well. He did not snarl at the very thought of Daniel, but still was unsure. He sighed and shrugged. "I trust you enough to know that you wouldn't be mean to me on purpose...so I'll be nice." He then surprised me with a growl. "But if he tries to hurt you or me..."

I shook my head. "Calm down, Guilmon...he'll never do that. For the first time, I can say that with complete confidence." I grabbed his arm and pulled him with me. "Come on, I'm sure you're still hungry."

**Daniel's PoV**

I was literally just setting down the plates at the table when Renamon and Guilmon reentered the house, and I pulled out my last bottle of rum for myself.

"Hey you two, you're just in time. How did everything go?" I asked the pair.

Renamon smiled at me. "Everything is in place. I checked the surrounding area before we finished, and your house is completely unnoticeable except by sea."

I nodded and gestured to the table. "Awesome. Thanks a lot, you two. Now sit down and let's eat."

* * *

Dinner was pretty quiet, which was in honesty a little awkward for me now...especially with Guilmon there. I don't know what it was, but I got the distinct impression that he didn't like me. Whatever...I'd deal with that later.

We all cleaned and washed up, and I walked Guilmon down to his new room.

"Well, I hope it's to your liking, Guilmon. I wasn't really sure what your tastes were, so I kept it plain." I said as I turned on the light.

The reptilian gingerly stepped over to the cot and lay down on it with his claws behind his head. He didn't look at me, but muttered a "thank you" before closing his eyes.

"Alright then," I responded kindly, "Renamon and I will be upstairs should you need anything. Decorate this place as you need to, it's yours now." He didn't answer. "Oookay, goodnight then."

* * *

I arrived in my bedroom to find Renamon already waiting for me, a coy look on her face. I smirked and asked, "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing...I'm just happy."

"Any particular reason why?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as I removed my pants and shirt.

She shook her head with a bit of a blush as she watched me. "Not really...things are just good."

I threw my shirt in the washbin and shrugged. "I guess so...although today could have been really bad. I'm glad I had your help, Renamon."

As I slid into the bed beside her, she took my hand and nodded. "Always, Daniel." She then extended her arm over my chest and pulled me close against her, and I savored the feeling of her soft chest fur against my skin. "So what are we doing tomorrow?"

I pulled my arm free and put it around her, allowing me to be as close as possible to her. "More training I guess. Do you think Guilmon would want in on it?"

She nodded. "Once I explain it to him, he would be okay with it."

I then sighed. "Why do I get the feeling he really doesn't like me?"

Renamon shrugged as she nuzzled under my chin. "It's likely he's had a hard life...and you did delete his tamer's avatar. You're going to have to earn his trust."

"Funny how _I_ have to earn his trust when it's my damn house he's in...and your idea to bring him here." I remarked with frustration.

Renamon slapped my chest lightly and frowned. "Be nice."

I rolled my eyes and nodded. "Fine...for you."

"Thank you, Daniel. I'll make it up to you." she responded as her eyes closed.

I rubbed her side and was rewarded with a soft sigh of contentment. "No need, Renamon. Sleep well."

She nodded once more and nearly instantly fell asleep, and while I felt myself following soon after, I couldn't help but think of the powerful digimon in my basement...and how I was going to connect with him. Oh well...perhaps tomorrow would present some opportunities.


	8. Ch 8: Our Truth

**A/N: I'm back everyone with another awesome chapter for you! This one is going to be sappy and fluffy, as every decent love story has to have at least _one_ chapter like this, so here it is. Please R&R and enjoy.**

**To Shadow Cloud 5283 – I've always liked the two of them as well, as they both have so much potential in their characterizations. Renamon is fun to write, and Guilmon is fun to design and write as well. I think you'll like where the story goes from here.**

**To jjoutlaw – You're right, I probably _do_ have the capability, but it's just not where I want this or my other stories to go right now. Perhaps in the future or with another story or installment, we'll see.**

**To zsd brony – Exactly. Just like people adapt to survive, so will sentient data. You'll see how things work in the upcoming chapters, and I'm confident you won't be disappointed.**

**To kn4sakura – I've thought about doing a lemon, but it's just not where I want this story to go. Perhaps in a future installment or a different story, but not right now. For the time being at least, I'd like to leave that up to the reader's imagination.**

**To Soulhavok – Well, you're going to notice some character changes to his personality that are the result of the trauma he's endured...much like Renamon has adapted.**

**Music choice: "Avien" by Theophany, "Subterranean Kamikaze" by Sixto Sounds and zircon, "Dancing Leaves" by Doc Nano, "Dark World Ballad" by Cliff Hooper and effinjerk, and the _Halo 4: OST_ album by Neil Davidge. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big gamer...so yeah, that's me.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with any of the Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Our Truth

**Renamon's PoV**

I woke slowly to the morning's light, being extremely well-rested and feeling nice...only to find that I was alone in the room. I immediately bolted upright and began to frantically search the room for any signs of what might have happened...only to hear the sounds of a struggle outside the window. I pulled the curtains aside and looked out of the broken window, only to find Daniel and Guilmon fighting in the small ditch beside the house.

Not good...

Daniel was strong and fast for a human, but Guilmon's claws alone could tear him apart. Guilmon had never harmed a human being before, but with him disliking Daniel as he did, I didn't want to risk it. With that in mind, I jumped through the open window and out onto the roof.

Without hesitation, I bounded off of the roof and pinned Guilmon to the ground, then growled at him.

"Renamon, what the hell?" Daniel asked in confusion. At his question, I immediately knew that he wasn't in fact under attack from Guilmon, so I let the dragon digimon up.

Guilmon stood and stretched his back before smiling at me. "We were just training, Renamon. He told me that you do the same kind of thing with him."

I looked to Guilmon's wrists and ankles, only to see that there were weights strapped to them. At the realization of what was going on, I smile sheepishly as I glanced to the two of them. "Sorry...I thought..."

Daniel waved his hand dismissively and smiled. "It's okay Renamon, I know what you thought. We're just sparring is all. I couldn't sleep, so I started training...sometime during me running through different parts of PT, he decided to join me. I figured that it would give us something to do that didn't involve cheesy male-bonding time." He then stretched and yawned. "Well, I'm going to go ahead and take a shower, then I'll make us all some breakfast. I'll meet the two of you downstairs in ten."

As Daniel went back in the house, I looked to Guilmon suspiciously. "Last night you don't like or trust him, and now today you're training with him? What's that all about?"

He shrugged and smiled. "I guess he's not so bad after all."

"How do you figure that?" I asked curiously. "I mean I agree with you, but I want to know how _you_ came to that conclusion."

The red digimon grinned and motioned to the house. "He trusted me enough not to kill him, even though I can be a lot stronger and faster than him. I guess if he can trust me with his life, I can trust him a little bit."

I stared at him for a moment before smiling and patting his shoulder. "You're a lot brighter than I give you credit for, Guilmon. Thanks for not killing him."

"I thought about maiming him a little bit, but decided against it. He's not so bad." Guilmon stated with a smile.

I knew that this comment of his was meant well, so I just smiled and nodded. "Well thank you for not breaking his arm or something then. Come, let's get back inside and get cleaned up."

* * *

**Daniel's PoV**

As I washed the dust and sweat off of myself, I couldn't help but chuckle at Renamon's response. I mean I know she cares about me and all, but nearly attacking Guilmon might have been a bit much. Then again, that fearless attitude of hers was one of the things I liked the most about her.

It was one of the things I admired about her as well.

When I really thought about it, there were a lot of things about Renamon I admired. Her strength and grace, her intense focus during battle, and her willingness to protect those she cared about...they were all great qualities.

Most of all though, it was her heart that drew me in the most.

She was a hardened warrior, both because of what she was and what her life had been like...and yet, she still held a warm and caring heart. It was an attribute that I wished I had, and one that I had begun to strive to gain.

After all, if she could do it, so could I...right?

I knew that there _were_ some things she could do that I couldn't – feats of strength among them – but this wasn't one of those things...or at least I hoped not. I mean, beyond just caring about her a lot, I idolized her in some ways. She was the epitome of what was possible for me. Both of us had suffered loss, pain, loneliness, and war. Unlike me though, she had chosen to keep living life proudly and with purpose...while I had fallen into depression and self-destruction. Were we really the same then, or was I just fooling myself?

Did I deserve her?

Upon realizing that I was mentally heading down the same self-destructive path of thinking, I stopped myself as I stepped out of the shower. I would be as honest with her as I always have been, and I would let her decide for herself about me...I couldn't trust myself to make that decision.

I quickly dried myself, brushed my teeth, and combed my hair...then just stared at myself in the mirror. I once again found myself criticizing myself...harshly, I might add. Every scar was one more reason why I deserved to be alone, and one more reason why I didn't deserve anyone...least of all Renamon. Where once these scars were a way of atonement, I now found them shackling me to a life I no longer wanted a part of. How do you move on from something when the visual representation of it is always there?

Slowly, carefully, and with help...that's how.

That's why I needed Renamon. I was in no danger of suicide or anything before she came along, but she was my anchor to a somewhat normal life. I mean granted I was stuck in the digital realm for God only knows how long, but I had food, shelter, and a companion, and that was better than I could ever ask for. She was stable where I was flimsy, and strong where I was weak. We complimented each other extremely well, both bolstering the other's weaknesses with their own strength. And now that we had Guilmon on our side, things could only get better.

I tore my gaze away from the mirror and grabbed my towel before heading to my room, so as to keep my mind from delving any deeper in to dark territory.

* * *

As I walked out to the hallway, I yelled a simple, "Shower's free!" This was answered by a certain vixen phasing into view in front of me, causing me to yell in fright. I composed myself and took a deep breath. "Jesus Renamon, you scared the shit out of me."

The beautiful fox digimon giggled and rubbed my cheek affectionately. "Apologies, Daniel. Would it be alright if Guilmon used the shower as well?"

I raised an eyebrow at this. "Umm, I don't really mind so long as he doesn't tear it up with his claws or anything. It's not like we're swimming in materials to repair it if something happens."

She nodded. "Because of his scaled skin, he simply needs to rinse off for the most part."

"Sounds cool." I responded with a grin. "I'll go tell him myself while you clean up, you sexy thing you."

Renamon blushed softly and giggled. "I'm still getting used to you saying those things about me."

I pulled my towel tight around me and smirked. "Well I hope you never really get used to it then, because you're cute when you blush."

"You're probably the only one that could ever get away with calling me cute...I hope you know that." she responded, moving closer to me.

I nodded as I looked down into her eyes. "And I am perfectly fine with that." I leaned down and met her lips, kissing softly and slowly. After a minute or two, I pulled away with a smile. "I'll be downstairs when you're done, Renamon." The vixen nodded and smiled before disappearing behind the washroom door. I chuckled softly to myself before retreating to my room to get dressed.

* * *

After dressing and gathering up all my dirty clothes and bed linens, I figured today would be the perfect day to do some washing, so I carried my filled hamper downstairs with me as I descended.

"What are you doing, Danielmon?" I heard a Guilmon's voice say from behind me.

I turned towards the voice and looked at the red digimon. "Well, I'm washing my clothes, sheets, and blanket. Gotta keep clean, after all. Oh, that reminds me, you can use the shower after Renamon's done. Just be careful not to tear it up with your claws. I can't replace it at the moment." He nodded and followed me downstairs to the basement, where he slept. I nervously asked, "Any particular reason why you're following me?"

"No. I'm just bored." he responded.

I shrugged as I continued walking down the wooden stairs. "Well I don't know how interesting clothes washing will be, but..." I then had an epiphany, and smiled. "Actually, I know something that can make anything interesting."

"What's that, Danielmon?" he asked curiously, still placing "-mon" on the end of my name.

I grinned as I began putting a load of colors into the washer. "After I get these started, I'll show you." After I'd filled the washer, I put in some soap and fabric softener into the dispensers before turning back to Guilmon with a grin. "Now you just wait here...I'll be back in a bit."

**Renamon's PoV**

During the past day or so, I'd been smiling near-constantly. I had been reunited with a wonderful friend I had thought gone forever, and I had the affection of an amazing man.

I mean, what more could I ask for?

Well, I could ask for Rika and the others, but that might come with time. I was unsure exactly how Daniel planned to accomplish what he had promised me, but I saw the determination in his eyes that day. It was a solemn vow, not just a normal promise...one that he would soon go to his grave before breaking.

And therein lie a problem.

Just in the short time I'd known Daniel, I noticed that he was very hard on himself. He was very responsible and strove to keep his word above all else. However, with that strong sense of responsibility came a crushing self-depreciation when things went badly. I cared for Daniel deeply, but this was one of the things about him that worried me. That same sense of duty and responsibility had driven him to brand himself on his arm countless times...and with the amount of care he extended to me, I didn't wish to think about how he would react if he couldn't live up to his vow to bring Rika to me, or vice versa.

As I washed the day from my fur, I couldn't help but think of Daniel again. It seemed to be a pattern that whenever I was alone, I couldn't help but think affectionately of my tamer...and of course I thought of him when around him. He had enacted a change within me, one that was both foreign and wonderful.

Love...I was falling in love with my tamer.

In my head, I had gone over what Rika had told me about love. Then, I compared that knowledge with how I felt about Daniel...and realized that I was indeed falling for him. Me, a digimon, was falling for Daniel, a human. Attraction was one thing, as even complete strangers can be attracted to one another...but as the two of us grew to know each other well, those feelings had not abated. No...they had in fact intensified. There was now not a moment of the day when he wasn't on my mind in some way, even if it was just to wonder what he was doing at that moment. I then came to a very startling conclusion...

My life before Daniel was for lack of a better term, depressing.

I loved Rika as family, and still do. However, what she and I shared was definitely _not_ what Daniel and I shared. It was love, but a very different kind of love. And yet at the time, I was so focused on gaining power that I completely overlooked this very important aspect of life. It was one of the things that I had come to loathe about digimon civilization, if you could call it that. With digimon, all that matters is strength and battle prowess. Humans however, have discovered that there is much more to life than that. After all, _what_ I am does not determine _who_ I am, or what I strive for in my life.

Maybe...maybe Daniel would be the one for me...

I had never, _ever_ even considered a bio-bond before, as in my naïve eyes, there were more drawbacks than positives. The closer I became to Daniel, however...the more I began to find the act more and more appealing. To be completely one with him in every way...it was something that was slowly losing its negatives. It would make both of us more powerful than either of us had ever dreamed of.

And...I wished to one day be able to give myself _completely_ to him.

What little we had experienced already was amazing, but Daniel told me that it was possible to be far better than I ever imagined, given the right anatomy. It was something I was very curious about, more so because I now had a way to experience such changes. The thing I was most worried about would be Daniel's response, though. I knew he cared for me very much, but was unsure if he would ever want something so permanent as a bio-bond...so for the moment I kept the thoughts for myself. Still...it was an amazing fantasy.

* * *

I turned the hot water off and took a large yellow towel from the towel rack, and began to dry my fur. My tail took the longest, as always, but I was finished within a few minutes and set about brushing my teeth next. I will admit, the minty flavor of the toothpaste was rather intense for my sharp senses, but I would prefer to have good breath for both my sake and Daniel's.

No one wants to kiss someone that tastes like a wastebin.

I quickly finished grooming myself before stepping out of the washroom and hanging my towel on the door. I walked across the hall to the bedroom, only to realize that Daniel had said he was going to be downstairs, so I descended the staircase. Upon reaching the bottom though, he and Guilmon were nowhere to be found.

"Daniel?" I called out loudly, only to receive no answer. "Guilmon?" Still no answer. I began to worry at the lack of responses, or any noise at all for that matter, but my fear was cut off when I heard faint laughter coming from the door that led to the basement.

I walked over to the door and opened it, only to be bombarded by loud laughter, as well as a large cloud of strange-smelling smoke.

"And then...and then he fell off the back of the truck into the mud!" I heard Daniel say in between laughter.

Guilmon's familiar laughter joined my tamer's, and I was confused about just how well they must be getting along for Guilmon to laugh. I tentatively smelled the air once more, only to recognize the scent.

By the Sovereigns, he didn't...

As I descended to the cellar, I realized that yes...he in fact did.

Daniel was seated against the wall with Guilmon uncomfortably close by, as the two laughed hysterically about what appeared to be nothing. Every now and then, Daniel and Guilmon would stop laughing and stare at each other in silence, only to erupt into fits of laughter seconds later.

I growled and stomped my foot, shouting, "_What_ is going on here?"

Daniel looked up, still giggling. "Renamon? Oh hey, babe!"

"Don't 'hey babe' me, Daniel." I responded with a snarl. "What exactly do you think you're doing to Guilmon?"

The tamer stood slowly and shrugged. "Just having some harmless fun, Renamon."

"I don't consider getting Guilmon high harmless, Daniel." I retorted in annoyance.

Apparently just recognizing I was in the room, the red digimon looked up at me with a goofy grin. "Renamon? Wow, you're here! I'm so glad you're back!" The dragon-like digimon then hopped off the ground and enveloped me in a hug, catching me completely by surprise. "I missed you _so_ much!"

As I struggled to free myself from Guilmon's iron grasp, Daniel just chuckled. "Oh, so you're on of _those_. Well I guess a hug never hurt anyone."

I laughed nervously and tried to move my arms to free myself. "Umm Guilmon, I really need you to let me go."

"But you're so soft!" he complained, nuzzling his face into the mane-like fur of my chest.

His action caused me to blush, so I looked to Daniel for help. Daniel sighed and shrugged. "Alright _fine_." My tamer's hand patted the reptilian on the shoulder. "Hey Guilmon, Renamon needs some personal space, okay?"

The red digimon looked at Daniel innocently and huffed in disappointment as he released me. "Fine then. I just wanted a hug is all."

"Dude," Daniel said, extending his arms wide open, "bro hug."

The two males embraced, and I was caught in a very awkward situation. Here, two males and former tentative acquaintances, were now hugging as if they were best friends. Needless to say, I had no idea how to handle this.

* * *

An hour later, we were sitting in the family room of the home. Well, Daniel and I were sitting while Guilmon cleaned himself upstairs. I was still a little upset with Daniel for having corrupted my oldest friend, but I figured laughter and male-bonding couldn't be all bad, so I let it go.

Besides, I wouldn't feel right laying in Daniel's lap if I were angry with him.

As I reclined against him and he softly stroked my chest fur (which always sent shivers through me), I let out a very content sigh when I looked up at him. It was times like this that I felt myself falling even more in love with him than I already was. Just being near him was enough for me, we didn't even have to talk...which was all well and good, because neither of us were extremely talkative.

"Hey Renamon?" I heard Daniel's deep voice as it also rumbled through my body.

I opened my eyes and looked up at my tamer with a soft smile. "Yes?"

**Daniel's PoV**

I gazed at the beautiful vixen in my lap. I didn't know whether it was the bud still in my system or something deeper, but I just had to tell her. "You are literally the most incredible person I've ever known, you know that?"

Renamon's normally yellow fur around her face changed shades from orange, then to crimson as she blushed. Her smile was quivering a bit as she looked up at me. "Do you really mean that?"

"More than anything I've ever said before." I responded with a warm smile. The proud and strong kitsune was now beaming, but then she stopped suddenly and looked nervous. I noticed and asked, "What's wrong, Renamon?"

"Daniel..." she started, seeming to get her thoughts in order, "there's something I want to tell you so bad, but I'm afraid of how you'll react."

I raised my eyebrow curiously and went back to rubbing her chest. "Well just say it. I honestly can't think of anything you could say that would change the way I look at you."

She looked me I the eye cautiously. "Are you-"

I interrupted her sharply and nodded. "Yes Renamon, I'm sure."

She nodded softly and placed her hand over mine. "Daniel..." She gulped and nervously rubbed my hand with one of her fingers. "Daniel I..."

By now I knew what she was trying to say to me, and I was shocked to say the least. As I thought about it though, my shock didn't come from what she was trying to tell me, but more so from the fact that she was trying to say it to _me_. Never in a thousand years had I thought someone so amazing would...would...

"Daniel...I l-love you."

Yeah...that.

Anxiety began to overcome me as I realized that she was now waiting for my response. The last time I'd told a woman I loved her, it blew up in my face...

Renamon was different though.

Renamon was nothing like my ex, and she'd proven that multiple times. Renamon was intelligent, caring, strong, independent, and genuinely kind...all the things the woman I'd wasted my time with was not. Renamon was altogether amazing, and every day she kept surprising me with something else incredible about her.

Which made my response very easy to say, once I had thought about it.

I looked into her eyes with the utmost care and caressed her cheek lightly before kissing her gently, but with passion. It was a quick kiss, but one that I felt was needed. I then looked in to her eyes again and smiled. "I love you as well, Renamon."

The vixen in my lap smiled very lightly, her eyes shining with happiness. She gripped my hand tightly before bringing my head down for another kiss, which I happily returned with fervor. After a moment, she released me and smiled dreamily at me. "I'm now the happiest Renamon in the digital world."

"I think you're the only Renamon in the digital world." I responded slyly.

Renamon rolled her eyes with a coy smile. "I'm glad my declaration hasn't changed that playfulness about you. It's one of the things I first fell in love with."

"Really?" I asked with a grin. "You mean it wasn't my stunning good looks or my debonair charm?"

Renamon giggled lightly and shook her head. "Both of those are nice, but you were amazing even without those."

I pursed my lips and nodded. "Well...I didn't know you were that deep into me."

She shrugged. "You have to remember, I've been getting to know you for over a year now...back when you thought all of this was some game people played."

I smiled sheepishly. "Y-yeah...I'm sorry about that."

Renamon held my hand firmly and shook her head. "It's not your fault, Daniel. You wouldn't have believed me if I told you the truth anyway, would you?"

"Probably not." I responded flatly.

The vixen in my lap sighed happily as she stroked my hand. "I don't judge you for that. It was something that was so far 'out there' that you would never have believed it had I not brought you here."

I sat still and quiet for a moment before responding with, "You know, I originally thought of nothing else but getting home...but now I can't even imagine not having been here with you."

The beautiful kitsune smiled up at me before turning her head towards the stairs. "Guilmon has been up there an awful long time. Do you think he's alright?"

I chuckled and gently placed Renamon beside me as I stood. "I bet you anything that he fell asleep."

"Fell asleep? Why would that happen?" she asked curiously.

I just laughed again. "Because the first time I smoked, I ate an entire pizza and then passed out while taking a shower."

"But he didn't eat anything..." Renamon added flatly.

I shrugged. "With how long he's been up there and how quiet it's been, I bet you anything we're gonna find him passed out in the shower." I pulled the smaller yellow digimon up with me and smiled. "Come on, let's go get him before he wastes all the hot water."

* * *

When the two of us arrived upstairs, it was to hear nothing but the shower running. No sound of claws upon tiles, no sound of feet upon the ground...just falling water onto the shower floor. I opened the door only to be blasted with a wave of warm steam, and then walked into the washroom to see a blurry red figure slumped against the wall through the shower door, soft snores coming from it.

I chuckled and pointed to the sleeping Guilmon. "See? Told ya." I pulled the door open and turned the water off, then began to shake the sleeping digimon gently. "Dude, wake up."

Luckily for me, Guilmon was a relatively light sleeper. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled when he saw me. "Hello, Danielmon." He then frowned as he looked around. "Where am I?"

"In the shower, man. You fell asleep." I answered with a grin.

I reached out and pulled the smaller Digimon to his feet and he shook his head a few times, the water dripping off of his skin. "Wow. I don't even remember sitting down."

I chuckled and nodded. "Yeah...weed will do that to ya." I could almost feel Renamon's glare, but I shrugged it off as I handed a towel to the reptilian. "Dry yourself off and meet us downstairs. I'll fix us something to eat."

"Great, because I'm starving." Guilmon responded, and I just smiled.

* * *

When Guilmon finally lumbered down the stairs, Renamon and I were nearly finished with the meal of spicy noodle soup with mushrooms, and I sighed as I looked at my pantry and fridge.

I looked to Renamon worriedly. "We're going to have to go into town in a few days for some supplies."

"What do we require?" she asked curiously as she stirred the soup.

I thought for a moment. "Well, we're going to need some laundry detergent, dish washing soap, some fresh vegetables and fruits, and some other things that I can't think of at the moment." I then sighed again. "I'm not even sure how we get money in this world."

Renamon smiled and shook her head. "Your avatar is still in town in its house. It has all the money we need. As far as getting more, you just do missions or tasks for the local townspeople, just like you used to."

I shrugged, turning off the burner and removing the saucepan from it. "Sounds simple enough."

Our meal was pretty quiet for me, as I simply listened while Renamon and Guilmon spoke about a great many things, namely their past together. Yes...when he was smoked stupid, Guilmon had let slip that he was Renamon's old friend. I was a little shocked at first, but was happy Renamon was happy...so I let it go. The how didn't really matter much to me, because my partner was happy.

That's all that mattered to me.

It was already about dusk by the time we finished dinner and cleaned up, so I figured we'd all get to sleep early so that the three of us could train together tomorrow morning. I'd slacked off a bit today, as had Renamon, so I had to get back into a good rhythm.

Didn't want to get lazy now.

* * *

While I had been smoking with Guilmon (which was incredibly fun, by the way), I had thought of something interesting that I was keen on getting an answer to.

As Renamon lay in bed with me, I turned to her and stroked her cheek gently, getting her to look at me. "Renamon?"

She smiled and rubbed her other cheek on my bare chest. "Yes Daniel?"

I sighed and placed my hand on her hip. "How do you feel with your name?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, now very confused.

"I mean the name 'Renamon'." I answered. "Renamon is the name of your species and form."

The vixen was silent for a moment before shrugging. "I...I haven't really thought about it before. Why?"

I shrugged in response. "I don't know, I think it's just impersonal. That would be like my mother and father naming me 'human'."

She nodded slowly a few times. "I think I understand what you're getting at. I take it you have a name in mind?"

I shook my head. "Not really. It's your name, you should be the one to pick it."

"Well," she started, thinking hard, "I'm not really familiar with names and the like."

I nodded slowly once as I caressed her back gently. "Well most human names mean something, as in they have a meaning behind them as more than just a label."

She was silent for a few moments longer before looking up at me with shining blue eyes. "Well, I'm your protector in this world, Daniel. Is there a name meaning something like that?"

I closed my eyes and thought silently for a minute, going through what names I knew meant such a thing. After a few minutes, I opened my eyes with a smile. "Lexia. It means 'guardian' or 'defender'."

"Just so long as you don't call me 'Lexie'." she responded with a coy smile.

I chuckled. "Lexia...a beautiful and strong name for a beautiful and strong person."

The newly-named Lexia smiled up at me with a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "Thank you, Daniel. That means a lot to me."

"Which part?" I asked curiously.

The Renamon hugged me tightly and sighed as she lay her head on my chest again. "All of it, really...but mostly that you consider me a person."

I chuckled softly before stroking her head gently. "You're more human than me in a lot of ways, Lex. To deny you 'person-hood' would be a crime that I won't be a part of."

"You and your made-up terms." the vixen responded with a giggle.

I shrugged. "I'm sure there's a word for it in the human language, but I'm not smart enough to know it...so I just made something up." I then pulled Lexia's chin up and kissed her softly and lovingly before smiling and covering the two of us up. "Goodnight, beautiful."

Again she blushed, but nodded and snuggled closer against me with a happy sigh. "Goodnight, Daniel."

I watched as the Renamon closed her eyes and smiled, and I couldn't help but feel like the luckiest man alive...in this world or the one before. I was in a world where I was starting to feel I belonged, and I had the friendship of a fun guy and the love of an amazing woman.

Life can't get much better than this.


	9. Ch 9: Digital Flux

**A/N: Howdy there, readers! Hope everyone had an awesome holiday, whatever it is you celebrated...if anything. Anyhow, here's another chapter for you. Do please read and enjoy, and don't forget to review. Kthanxbai!**

**To Geefriend – Well, I wrote the part about those two being stoned from personal experience. A wise man once said, "Write about what you know."**

_**Lx: Like any other string of data, digimon can last for as long as they are maintained. Unlike "normal" data however, this maintenance can be done by the digimon itself. With that being the case, a digimon can last for as long as the digital realm exists...which may very well be forever.**_

**To kn4sakura – Weed _does_ make everyone happy, so I don't know why the "jk" was needed there. The only people who don't like it are people who either can't inhale, or get paranoid. If you live in Washington or Colorado, the paranoia is gone. So get high and laugh your ass off, if you're lucky enough to live in those places.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with any of the Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners.  
**

* * *

Chapter 9: Digital Flux

"Hostiles approaching, nine o'clock!" I shouted loudly, gaining the attention of both Lexia and Guilmon.

The yellow digimon bounded off of the roof, shouting, "Give me covering fire!"

I nodded and looked to Guilmon while pointing to a large number of hostile "fake" digimon. "Blast them and I'll pick off the stragglers."

The dragon digimon nodded and hopped off of the roof onto the clifftop. "Guilmon digivolve to..." I watched as his skin blew away in a nonexistent wind, leaving only a digital grid of his body. A second later, the shape was again covered with skin, and now horns. The shape was much larger now and more intimidating, and even though I'd seen it before, it was still a sight to behold. As the digivolution completed, he blew smoke out of his nose and stomped the Earth and roared loudly. "Growlmon!" The dark dragon digimon looked to me and nodded before taking a deep breath and roaring, a massive flame jetting out of his mouth along with the roar. The blaze covered the entire treeline, and I watched as countless data bursts happened in its wake as the pseudo-digimon burst apart.

A second later, I caught sight in my scope as a Renamon jumped into the air, releasing a massive hail of diamond shards down upon the groups. Here and there I could notice one of them getting ready to attack her, only for me to plant a bullet in its forehead, causing it to dissolve into data.

After a few more minutes of this, the area was clear, and I breathed a sigh of relief as the Renamon and Growlmon walked around the battle site, absorbing the ambient data to become stronger.

* * *

After four months of living here, I was at the epitome of strength and skill for my body. It was just like when I was back in the marine corps, where the measly hundred pounds of gear, rifle, and sidearm were nothing to me as far as weight. My combat skills had actually improved beyond what I'd known before, mostly because of the training I'd done with the two digimon that stayed with me. My relationship with Guilmon had increased to the point where I felt I could trust him with my very life, and he offered the same trust to me. My bond with Lexia had grown to something much more than mere partnership or love. It was to the point where during battle, we wouldn't even have to communicate most of the time in order to coordinate attack and defense strategies. I still kept the D-Power device clipped to my belt loops, along with the cards just in case they were needed, but I'd yet to actually have to use them.

I hope that we never meet an enemy so dangerous that I need to make Lex more powerful than she already is.

The main concern lately has been the fact that more people – both as tamers and digimon – had been seeking us out in an attempt to destroy us. I would assume that in the game-that-wasn't-a-game, we had basically become "boss" characters to the humans on the outside. Guilmon and I had already tried to reason with them once before, only for both of us to nearly lose our lives. After that, we had resigned ourselves to the fact that in order to be safe, we would have to just destroy them if they approached. Luckily for me, towns were a designated "safe zone", where any and all digimon abilities were disabled, and the "game" engine wouldn't allow the avatars to kidnap me or anything. This meant that once I made it to the village of Proxi (ironic name, I know), I was safe so long as I obeyed the rules.

* * *

After cleaning the area up and making sure my house was still hidden, I sat down on the cliff face and looked out over the ocean. Even though my mind knew it was digital, I had never seen a more beautiful sea. As a matter of fact, the fact that everything in this world was digital didn't matter to me...and as I looked at Lex, it just cemented that fact. She was as real to me as my own life, and even though my life was now in the digital world, the fact didn't change.

I, Daniel Raszhar, am in love with a digimon.

"Danielmon?" I heard a throaty voice call, and I looked to my left to see Guilmon and Lexia approaching.

I waved at the two of them and smiled. "Hey you two. Ready to head into town?" Both of them nodded, so I grabbed my empty pack, rifle, and sidearm as I stood. I then made my way over to the Renamon and kneeled down in front of her, grabbing a tourniquet from her thigh and untying it. I examined the wound and ran my finger gently over it, causing her to shiver accidentally. I smiled as I stood again. "Looks like it healed pretty well. I don't think you'll have a scar from that."

"Good. I don't need bald spots on my fur." she replied.

I chuckled and looked to the crimson digimon at her side. "Are you feeling up to the journey Guilmon? I know digivolving takes a lot out of you."

He nodded with a smile. "I'm alright, Danielmon."

"Cool." I responded jovially. I clipped the straps to my pack around my midsection and then turned towards the open forest in front of us. "Guess we should get going then if we want to make it back before dark." At my declaration, the three of us descended into the forest.

* * *

A little over an hour and a half later, my company and I arrived at the gate that led to Proxi. A single AI stood guard, and just waved us in as we approached, so we quickly entered the small bubble of energy that nullified access to the digital world's power.

As we entered the main common area of the small town, I noticed a great many tamers and digimon alike gathered around the main fountain. All of them stopped what they were doing and looked up at us as we passed, but a protective growl from Guilmon caused them to look away and continue doing whatever they were doing before. As I looked over the many globes that accompanied tamer and digimon alike, I had to remind myself that these were not real people or digimon. I quickly made my way to the main market (which was just named "market") and entered through the sliding glass doors.

As the three of us walked down the aisles that filled the store, I found it odd that food, drink, and even cookware was sold here. I guess either this realm was made with digimon and people like me in mind, or else the "game" had been massively upgraded.

Either way, I'm not going to think about it, as it just makes my head hurt.

One of the things I'd noticed about this place was that the NPC's of the town acted every bit as real as I did, which led me to believe they were sentient as well. This theory was reinforced when I realized that these characters acted different every time I saw them, and were capable of kindness, anger, jealousy, generosity, and all the other things that make humans human.

After picking up food and paying, Lex, Guilmon, and me all headed to the main square of the town, and sat down to have lunch. I was well aware of the dozen or so pairs of eyes that stayed glued to me as we made our way to the fountain, but I just ignored them and sat down with the two digimon at my side.

As I handed a sandwich to both Guilmon and Lexia, it was clear the Renamon was _not_ as cool with staring as I was, as her lips were raised in a snarl, showing her sharp canines to the world. I placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Lex, it's okay. Just ignore them."

She sighed and looked at me. "Why can't we just wait until we get home to eat?"

"Because," I answered while holding up my sandwich, "these won't last that long. I promise, everything's going to be okay."

"Hey you!" shouted a loud male voice from behind me.

I turned around to see a male avatar with a red shirt, jeans, and blonde hair running up to me with a very common and practiced gait. I pointed to my chest and asked, "Me?"

It nodded. "Yeah, you." A second later it stopped in front of me, and I felt Lexia's fur bristle a bit against my skin as I sat beside her. The avatar was accompanied by an avatar Impmon, and I just looked at the tamer with a raised eyebrow. "How did you get _two_ digmon as partners?"

I chuckled and shook my head, pointing to Guilmon. "He isn't my partner. He's simply a friend."

"Like you're grouped with him?" the avatar asked.

I had to remember that the human thought this was all a game, so I just nodded. "Yeah...grouped."

The avatar then looked to Lexia with the same blank look. "Wow, and you got a Renamon. You lucky bastard."

I looked to the fox digimon with a smile and nodded. "Yep, I am lucky as hell to have gotten her. Luckiest man alive."

Lexia looked lovingly at me and shook her head. "_I'm_ the lucky one."

"Got your girlfriend to roll a Renamon. Nice choice." the avatar quipped. "I mean, Renamon are by _far_ the sexiest digimon there is."

_'Great...one of _these_ jokers...'_

I felt Lexia's hand grab mine, and then felt her pulse quicken in her thumb. The avatar then looked to what we were doing and asked, "How do you hold hands like that?"

I looked up at the Renamon and said, "Finish your lunch. We should get going." The three of us wolfed down our sandwiches before standing. I then grabbed my pack and looked back to the avatar with a grin. "Well it's been fun, but we should get going." After that, I turned and walked away.

"Where are you going?" I heard it ask.

"Home." I replied clearly.

For a while, there was silence...but this wasn't a good thing. I noticed as all eyes were on us now, and a voice finally said, "I didn't know the bosses could walk around in town like this."

I grit my teeth and looked to my two companions. "Guilmon, Lexia, _run_!" I felt as two strong furry arms picked me up, and then the three of us were scrambling out of the "bubble" and away from the town.

* * *

"You know that's just going to prompt more of them to seek us out. We need to move away from here." a certain vixen said loudly.

I sighed as I sipped a grape soda, enjoying the sweet taste. "I know." I then patted the wall of my home with a sigh. "You know, I'm going to miss this house."

Lexia rolled her eyes at me. "You've got one in Proxi, remember? Or at least your avatar does."

I nodded. "True. The only thing I won't be able to bring with me is my stereo, but I can buy another one later." I then turned to the two digimon. "Alright, let's pack things up. Guilmon, I want you to pack up the food in that ice chest in the basement. Lex, I need you to pack my dvd player, dvd's, mp3 player, and toiletries. I'll get my clothes and whatever other small knicknacks I can think of that I'd need. There are three hiking packs in the basement that can carry about a hundred pounds each. We'll use those as well."

"What about your weights and stuff, Danielmon?" Guilmon asked curiously.

I sighed and shook my head. "We're going to have to leave them unless we can make another trip back. We'll check tomorrow to see if the place has been ransacked or anything. If not, we'll come back to get them." The two digimon nodded before dashing off to different parts of the house, and I went upstairs to begin packing.

**Lexia's PoV**

After gathering things up like Daniel had asked, we waited for him downstairs in the basement. I knew his weaponry would be the last thing he grabbed, so I sat against the wall with Guilmon, awaiting the arrival of my tamer.

"So what do you think is going to happen now, Renamon?" the digimon at my side asked.

I giggled a bit and smiled. "My name's Lexia now, Guilmon. As far as what's happening next, I don't know. I'm a lot of things, but a fortune-teller isn't one of them."

The dragon was silent for a moment before asking, "You aren't going to make me go away, are you?"

"Why would you ever think that, Guilmon? You're my best friend." I responded with surprise and concern.

He shrugged and looked towards the stairs. "I know, Lexiamon...I'm just worried that since you and Danielmon want to be close to each other, there won't be much room around for me."

"I'll get you some earplugs." I retorted with a smirk. "You're Daniel's friend too, Guilmon. You aren't going anywhere unless you want to."

He looked at me gratefully and nodded. "Thank you. It feels good to have friends again."

We were both startled by the sound of heavy boots coming down the stairs, and I beheld a new Daniel descending them. On his back was the same camouflage military pack that Guilmon and I had packed, but he was now dressed in a matching uniform, complete with boots and a hat. A strange necklace hung around his neck, and on it were two rounded pieces of metal that jingled together. He wore sunglasses and a smile as he walked over to us, and he set the bag down at his feet.

"So, are you two ready to go?" he asked, looking both intimidating and professional.

Guilmon and I stood and I nodded. "We're ready when you are."

He cracked open his vault one last time and set about loading every bit of ammunition he had into his pack. He then placed his large combat knife into his boot, and slung his rifle over his shoulder so that it hung in front of him. He holstered his pistol at his hip and then picked up his backpack. "Alright then, let's get going. I'd like to make it into town by at least midnight. I don't want to have to travel too long in the dark, as there's bound to be a lot of people hunting us now."

**Daniel's PoV**

Contrary to Earth, the digital world's moon illuminated the night much better than the "real" world's. Where normally I would need NVG to see, I could make out shapes and details up to about a thousand feet. This gave me a little less stress as we made our way out of the forest and onto the plains that lay before Proxi.

* * *

Luckily for the three of us, we were not attacked or harassed in any way during our journey, but the night "guard" at the gate eyed us with a confused expression before waving us through. All things considered, it was acceptable for me. I'd rather have suspicion than a full-out fight any day of the week, and the fact that I was tired from walking upwards of twelve miles in one day didn't help that matter. For the first time in months, the pack was weighing on me as I made my way up to the door that held my new home. It was a large house that looked like any of the others in town, but it was what was inside that mattered most to me. After I turned the key in the lock and opened the door, Guilmon gasped at what he saw.

I had decorated the entire place like a rockstar's house, with alternative furnishings and appliances, but what was most important to me was what was on the wall near the kitchen.

One of the things the engine for this world had let me do back on Earth was take screenshots with Lexia and put the pictures up on the wall like family photos. As I looked up to the picture frames though, I let out my own gasp in shock at what I saw. The pictures had all changed now. It was no longer my avatar in the photos...but me. The memories I had of those moments were of me, not some avatar...and this just made them all the more special to me now.

"Are those...?" I heard Lexia ask from beside me as I set the pack down.

I nodded with a smile. "Those are our pictures. I don't know why they changed, but that's us."

The vixen and dragon placed their respective packs down on the floor, and Guilmon dropped the large freezer on the ground as well. Lexia then walked up to one picture in particular and placed her hand on it softly. When I looked at it, I saw that it was a picture of her and I when she was still a Viximon. "This...this was the first day that I knew I was going to be friends with you, Daniel."

I came up beside her and eyed the picture carefully. "That was the first day we met, babe."

She nodded with a smile and turned to me. "I know."

I gazed at the vixen out of the corner of my eye and took her hand in mine. "So you've known for that long, have you?" She nodded. "Did you know I would be coming here too?"

She shrugged. "Not really. It was only a few days before this picture had been taken that I had officially given up on finding Rika...so I had transdimensional energy gathered, but nothing to use it on...until the day you told me you would be okay with it."

I gave a soft squeeze to her hand and smiled. "Probably the best day of my life, that was." I then turned around to Guilmon and pointed to the large freezer he was leaning against. "Alright, let's get all the food out of there and into the fridge. After that I'll make us some dinner and we'll relax a bit. We could use the rest."

Thankfully for all of us, the "game" part of this world had been designed after "The Sims" I assumed, because it allowed players to fully customize their own house, complete with a fully-functional W.C., appliances, and even a TV. I was going to miss my old house, but this one would be much safer now. There were still many things about this world that surprised or didn't make sense to me, but safety was still concern number one, for both myself and the two that stayed with me. Lexia was...well, she was my mate (as digimon referred to them), and Guilmon was like a younger brother to me. Once again, I had a family, which meant I had a responsibility to help look after them and take care of us all.

With how relatively easy things were, I began to feel that there was a strong possibility this would not last. Perhaps it was just paranoia, but my life so far had taught me to embrace the happiness and peace when it's there, because you never know when war will break out – whether metaphorical or physical. This paranoia of mine had saved my life multiple times – both here and on Earth – so I was not going to just ignore it.

* * *

As I placed the last of my things in my room so that it looked somewhat the way I wanted it to, I simply grabbed my avatar and shoved it in the closet. It wasn't like I'd need it anymore, but somehow I knew it would be stupid to just destroy it. Who knows, it could come in handy at some point. As I went back to putting my linens and blanket on my bed, I heard Lexia enter the room behind me, and she ran a claw along my back as she passed me and walked to the closet...and I just grinned.

A second later, she yelled in surprise and dropped the hangars she'd been holding, along with the twenty or so shirts. "Ugh, what the hell, Daniel?"

I laughed loudly as I looked up to see her pointing at the avatar. "I just figured it needed to be out of the way, and I don't want to just 'throw it away'. Who knows, it could come in handy at some point."

"Creepy." she mused. "Well, I guess the closet is better than out in the open. I would _not _be able to meditate with it staring at me."

"I stare at you." I responded as I folded and put away my clothes.

I felt as Lexia came up behind me and said, "Yes, but I don't mind it when you stare. I know it's because you want this body."

I rolled my eyes with a grin. "Yeah yeah, don't get _too_ cocky." I felt as sharp canines grazed my neck as she kissed it, causing me to shiver. I turned around to see the vixen grinning coyly, and I said, "I'm never going to get everything put away if you keep doing _that_."

Since I was only wearing a tank top under my blouse (yes, the jacket is called a blouse. Look it up) instead of the standard tee, Lexia easily slipped both of her hands under my shirt and onto my chest. She then grinned and asked, "And how about now?"

Another thing I should mention: ever since Lex and I had confided in each other how we felt, I had began to take on certain physical aspects and behaviors that didn't befit a normal human. Among these were longer canines – giving me a more primal aspect – wild, spiky hair, and I had begun to growl like she did. Never "just because", but whenever I would get frustrated, angry, or protective, a very wolf-like growl would escape my throat. The first time it happened, I flipped shit...but now, I just chalk it up to simple changes that are happening because of my exposure to the digital realm.

Which just made what I did next no surprise.

The feeling of Lexia's soft fur on my bare skin always felt amazing, and would always send my primal mind into overdrive. My hands dropped the clothing I had been folding onto the bed and then grabbed a firm hold of both of her flanks, causing her to moan softly as I pressed her against me. A deep and wild growl rumbled through my throat as I connected my lips with hers, which only caused her to melt into me and her tail to wrap around my back. I felt her pulse through her palms skyrocket as I attacked her mouth, and my hands and arms kept pulling her tighter against me, wanting to be closer.

It was times like this that I really wished she were "complete".

Hearing her whisper and moan my name into my ears just excited me further, and I had to fight to keep from pulling her down to the bed and spending the next hour or so doing anything and everything I could to her...but I reminded myself that there would be time for that later. With no small amount of control, I pulled myself away from the beautiful vixen and smiled gently.

"We'll have time for that later, beautiful. For now, let's finish getting things set up." I said firmly, but with a smile.

Lexia huffed in disappointment, but nodded. "I guess you're right. Guilmon will start tearing the house apart if you let him go hungry. Remember last time?"

I rolled my eyes with a smirk. "Yeah, that was funny."

"He almost _ate_ my tail!" the fox digimon shouted.

I chuckled and nodded. "Exactly. That was hilarious."

"Why you...!" she shouted and vaulted the bed, while I just hopped over to the other side and ran down the stairs, laughing. "Come back here!"

* * *

A few minutes later after I let Lexia "catch" me, we finished putting my bedroom together and setting the appliances of the house up. Thankfully for me this place had two bedrooms, so I set Guilmon up in the master bedroom (mostly because it was downstairs, and thus had a lot of walls to drown out any..._noises_).

With my DVD player hooked up, I was officially moved-in to my new home, and while I was going to miss my own house, it was a small price to pay to make sure all of us were safe.

I stood back and took a good look at my house with a smile as the three of us stood outside. "So, welcome home you two."

"Does home have food?" Guilmon asked with annoyance.

I chuckled and nodded. "Sure thing, man. Let's go eat."

After the hell that was today, I made sure to make the three of us something with lots of meat, lots of booze, and played some good music.

* * *

As night began to cast its embrace over the world, I settled into the warm bed with Lexia and smiled at the end to this day. Started out intense, ended up being stressful, then finished with warm kisses and a loving embrace from a beautiful vixen.

All in all, a good day for me.

* * *

**?'s PoV**

"How are things going?" I asked the man working on the large machine.

He shrugged as he looked at some technical readouts. "The diagnostics are promising, and we finally have enough power with the dynamo. Why, are you really ready for this?"

I sighed and smiled warmly. "I've been ready since that first day, Henry. Every day since was just another twenty-four hours to tack on to the rest." It was at that moment that I heard the loud engine of a certain motorcycle rev as it pulled up beside the hangar. "Seems he got here sooner than I thought."

"You know him, he drives like a pro." Henry mused.

I nodded with a grin and leaned against the cold wall of the large room. "At least now he has a reason for wearing those stupid goggles."

"You're still going to call him goggle-head though, aren't you?" the blue-haired man asked.

I laughed softly and nodded. "It's been five years since I last saw him. Of _course_ I am."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." answered a loud voice from the corridor behind me.

I beheld a tall brown-haired man enter the large open space, his dark crimson eyes shining in awe as he made his way towards the machine. I walked up beside him and nudged him with my shoulder. "About time you made it, goggle-boy."

"I prefer goggle-_man_ now, thank you very much." he retorted with a grin.

I smirked in reply and said, "I'll call you a man when you start acting like one." I then turned towards him and wrapped my arms around him as I buried my head in his chest. "It's good to see you, Takato."

I felt his strong arms wrap around me as he held me tightly. "It's good to see you too, Rika. It's been way too long."

I pulled away from my old friend and nodded. "Yeah, I know. Work's kept me pretty busy."

"So I've seen." he responded in a friendly manner. "It's weird not seeing you in a suit and tie, or on TV for that matter. Director of Communications, I never would have thought."

I shrugged with a grin. "It has its perks. I had to make sure I worked hard enough to earn this time off so that my boss would leave me alone."

"And how did that go?" Takato asked curiously.

At that moment, my phone started buzzing in my jacket pocket. I sighed and pulled it out, seeing it was my direct manager, _again_. I held the phone up to Takato and said, "Not so well, it seems. It's like he can't do anything without me. Give me just a sec, okay?" I pressed the "answer" button the touch-screen and said, "Rika Nonaka speaking."

"_Rika, it's good to hear from you. How are things?"_

I sighed and responded, "Get to the point please, Mr. Chen. You're interrupting what's _supposed_ to be my vacation."

The man on the other side of the line chuckled and answered, _"Alright alright, fine. I just need you to e-mail the workflow readouts from last month if you could."_

"Sure, one minute." I answered back, tapping my phone a few times to open my e-mail, then attaching the documents and sending it off to him. "There, all done. They'll be in your inbox any second now."

"_Okaaaay, and there they are! You're a lifesaver, Rika."_

"That's why you pay me, sir." I responded smugly.

His dry airy laugh almost tickled my ear, and he sighed softly. _"Indeed, Ms. Nonaka. Thank you again for your help, I promise not to bother you anymore. Enjoy your vacation."_

"I will sir, thank you. Have a good day." I responded before ending the call. I then turned to Takato with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that. I guess I should be flattered that I'm so valued at work, but I just wish I'd be left alone sometimes."

"It's all good, Rika. That's why they pay you the big bucks." Henry answered as he continued to tinker with the large circuit board in his hands.

I let out a very girlish giggle and nodded. "Yeah, and all it cost me was four years of my life for college."

"True," the brown-haired man said as he walked over and placed an arm around my shoulders, "but at least you're noticed for your work. No one's ever going to hear about how Takato Matsuki built a brand new plane, or how he refined existing models to make them more efficient. The guys at the top of the stack always get the recognition, while guys like me just do all the work." He grinned. "I mean, you tested into college when you were fourteen. Who the hell does that?"

I shrugged and placed my hand around his back as we walked back to the computer console. "That might be correct, but all the same, I wish I could just disappear sometimes."

"As I recall, you wanted the exact opposite when we were younger." the man at my side responded as we both sat down on a bench.

I shrugged as I released myself from his hold "Yeah...I wanted a lot of things back then. I also lost a lot because of that."

I felt as a gloved hand took mine, and looked to see Takato's crimson eyes looking back at mine. "Rika, what happened wasn't your fault. It was the greed of the adults at the time, as well as their fear. You had nothing to do with it, okay? So stop blaming yourself."

I lowered my gaze to our entwined hands and sighed. "I hope _she_ feels the same way. I don't know if I could take it if she hates me."

"Rika listen to me." Takato ordered as he let go of me, and I looked up to see his stern gaze. "You're stronger than this, Rika. I remember when at one time you would stare down a digimon that could have ripped you to shreds and-"

"It was because of _her_." I spat angrily. My anger immediately evaporated, and sadness crept in as I repeated softly, "It was because of her...because of Renamon. With her around, I knew I never had anything to worry about. With her, I was invincible." I fought back tears as they threatened to break free and simply swallowed the heartache down. "Without her, I feel lost and alone. Grandma died from cirrhosis just last year, and ever since then I've just felt lost. Without Renamon, I'm nothing special at all."

"Rika," I heard Henry say as he moved to stand in front of me, "what do you think she would say if she heard you talking about yourself like this?"

I shrugged and looked towards the machine, which was nearing completion. "Hopefully soon, I'll be able to ask her." A lone tear made its way down my cheek as I added, "She was like my big sister, but so much more than that."

"You still love her, don't you?" Takato asked, although I was sure he already knew the answer.

I just nodded slowly and looked into his blood-red eyes. "I'll love her until the day I die...just like you'll never stop caring about Guilmon."

I looked up to see Henry nodding as he turned around and headed back towards the large machine. "Well this thing's nearly finished. I say maybe another month or two and I'll be done."

I shrugged. "It's been about five years since I've last seen her, I guess I can put up with another month or two." As Henry walked away, I whispered softly to Takato, "Do you think she still remembers me?"

He rubbed his scruffy beard and nodded. "I don't think she could ever forget you, Rika. You were family to her."

_'I sure hope so.'_

* * *

After saying farewell to my two best friends, I headed home. As I unlocked the door to my condo and opened the door, I couldn't help but frown as the quiet dark house welcomed me. I used to need quiet in order to focus, and this quiet was always broken by none other than Takato and his partner, Guilmon. Nowadays though, I relished noise and voices, because quiet just reminded me of a heart-shattering fact in my life:

I was alone.

I tossed my keys in the small dish on my counter and hung up my jacket on the door, then quickly kicked off my shoes and headed upstairs to shower and prepare for bed.

As the hot water of the shower ran over my hair and skin, I couldn't help but think about Renamon more and more...more than I had lately anyway. At first, this project of Henry's was sort of a fantasy, but after almost six months of work and numerous tests, it was actually becoming a reality.

I _would_ see her again.

Once again, I was sitting alone in my bedroom, my eyes always finding their way to a single picture within my entire house...one of a young girl with spiky red hair and a tall yellow digimon, who was showing one of her rare smiles. It always brought a tear to my eye when I looked at it, but it was a good sadness. It reminded me of just how much I cared about her and missed her, and more recently, it reminded me that I would see her again soon.

I looked out my window at the crescent moon with a sad smile, whispering, "I'll see you again soon, Renamon...I promise."


	10. Ch 10: New Kids on the Block

**A/N: Hey there everyone! Been a little while, but Frostbreaker is back with another chapter for you! As always please R&R and let me know what you think.**

**To jjoutlaw - Well anything can be used irresponsively and can potentially kill...even food. That being said, alcohol kills far more people every year than weed ever has...and that's by exponential factors. That being said, if someone gets in an accident after smoking, they were a shitty driver _before_ getting blazed...no offense meant. Anyhow, I'm glad you like the chapter, and here's the next one.**

**To wolfoftheabyss5 - _Lx: Well, I do not enjoy such attention, but I suppose it could be worse. With Daniel by my side, I can brush it off for the most part...but so help me if one touches me..._**

**_DR: Well I won't say it's been easy, but I have enjoyed it quite a bit. It's definitely different from Earth, but after some getting used to, it's actually great._**

**To kn4sakura - I only put in time skips when nothing happens during that time period. As far as the physical changes and why that happened, it will all be explained in this chapter. The previous tamers are going to play a large part in the story later on, and you can expect a lot of drama between Rika, Lexia, and Daniel.**

**To Sgt. M00re - Daniel's no programmer, so he's not going to be creating any sort of virus/program to do that.**

**To TheLonelyNinja - Why thank you. This story is not dead, and neither are my other unfinished works. Lots more to come, so stay frosty.**

**To Solrac III - Daniel's not going to be becoming a digimon, though this chapter is going to be more specific as to what's changed, as well as why.**

**To spacecowboy2011 - Well as always, I am pleased you are enjoying the story, sir. There is plenty more to come, whether that be drama, hijinks, awesomeness, or simple mushy romance...a good mix of all, probably. You will enjoy.**

**To zsd brony - I think we all would have reacted differently, friend.**

**To Zamairiac - Glad you enjoy the story, because there's a lot more to come.**

**For those of you who don't already know, I'm re-posting and adding onto my MLP stories on FIMfiction, so check me out under penname "Radiant Dawn" if you want. "The Lost Element" has been edited and completely polished and been uploaded on there, as well as the rest of the stories. Anyhow, that does not mean I'm leaving my other stories behind. The Pokemon/Digimon stories will continue, as will a few others I've got in the works. That being said, read on and enjoy!**

******Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with any of the Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

Chapter 10: New Kids on the Block

"Rika!"

The high-powered shout from Lexia's mouth caused me to jump off the bed in shock, grab my combat knife and sidearm, and take a defensive stance. My vision sharpened, my hearing was heightened, and even my sense of smell had been increased greatly by the flow of adrenaline pumping into my bloodstream. My lips curled back into a snarl and a deep growl escaped my throat...

And this all happened in the span of less than two seconds.

My protective instinct was dropped when I noticed that Lexia was sitting very silently, staring at me...in the corners of her eyes, I could see the beginnings of tears.

I sheathed my blade and placed the pistol on the nightstand before making my way over to Lex and embracing her tightly. I felt as she relaxed into me and sighed happily before I released her.

"So what happened, Lex?" I asked concernedly.

The Renamon took a deep breath and leaned against me. "It was Rika."

I chuckled lightly and answered, "I figured that, what with you yelling her name and all."

I could almost feel as a snarky remark rose within her, but instead, Lexia simply replied, "No...I mean I _heard_ her."

I wrapped my arms around the kitsune's waist from behind and rested my chin on her shoulder. "What do you make of it?"

For a few moments she was completely still and silent before replying with, "I don't think it was a dream, Daniel." She sighed and leaned her head back so that her cheek touched mine. "It was different somehow...like it was really her. I've never had a dream sound that real before."

"So what do you think?" I asked curiously.

Slowly, I felt as her cheek turned into the faintest hint of a smile, and her body warmed ever so slightly. "I think she's looking for me, Daniel." The smile got bigger as she added, "She didn't forget about me."

I smiled and hugged the vixen tighter against me. "I knew she didn't, Lex. I don't think someone could _ever_ forget someone as amazing as you."

I felt as her cheek heated up with a faint blush and she hummed happily before pulling away. "Come...we should get some breakfast and get to training."

"Agreed." I said before standing and following her downstairs.

* * *

What Lex and I found when we arrived downstairs was an utter shock.

Awaiting us on the table were tall stacks of pancakes, along with bacon, eggs over-easy, and hash browns...all being set down by a very pleased-looking Guilmon.

He looked up at us as we arrived and smiled. "Good morning Lexiamon and Danielmon! I hope you like breakfast...I made it myself."

Lexia's mouth dropped open as she stammered, "H-how?"

It was then that the dragon digimon grabbed a book and opened it to a specific page...one that showed the epitome American breakfast...just like we had in front of us.

I pulled the book from his claws and looked it over before asking, "You made that just from looking at this?"

When I looked back to Guilmon, he nodded with a joyful grin. "Yep! I just cooked everything the way it said and until it looked the same as it did in the book."

"And you didn't mess up at all?" Lex asked curiously.

"Nope! It looks the same to me, so I think I got it right." Guilmon answered confidently.

I sat down at my place at the table and took a bite of the bacon and hummed with elation at the wonderful taste. I looked to Guilmon and said, "Oh yeah, you did it right. Good job...no, _great_ job." I then turned to Lex with a grin and motioned to the chair at the end of the table. "Take a seat and enjoy a truly American breakfast, in all its greasy glory."

"Greasy?" she questioned as her face twisted in slight disgust.

"Don't judge until you try it." I said firmly as I began to tear into the amazing breakfast before us.

* * *

"So what's the verdict?" I asked the Renamon with a knowing grin.

She let out a very satisfied but soft burp before blushing. "Um, excuse me." She then took a drink of orange juice before sighing and smiling. "Alright I'll admit I was wrong. That was probably the best breakfast I've ever had."

"Fat and salt tastes good." I responded simply. I then stood and grabbed the many dishes on the table. "I don't know what it does to digimon, but for humans, we can only eat it sparingly without getting fat or having health problems." I placed the soiled dishes into the sink and gave them a quick rinse before turning to my two companions. "We'll go do our training later, as if we run after eating that, we're just going to throw up. So go ahead and clean yourselves up and we'll take a walk around town I guess...get to know our new neighbors."

As I expected, Lex bounded up the stairs first, which left the crimson digimon sitting beside me in the living room.

He chuckled and patted his stomach. "You know, I used to think a lot of things humans did were kind of weird - bathing habits included - but I think I'd like to know more about humans if they make food like that."

I chuckled and nodded. "Well humans are about as diverse as digimon are, and come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. The basic body structure is the same, but other than that we are as different from each other as we are from digimon."

"Really?" he inquired with interest. "Like how?"

"Well," I started, placing my hands behind my head as I sat comfortably on the sofa, "a good example would be the simple difference between male and female humans." I closed my eyes and smiled. "From what I've learned both from observation and what Lex has told me, digimon aren't boys or girls, right? Or at least they don't have distinguishing characteristics physically."

"Well I know I'm a boy, Danielmon...but I guess I know what you're saying." he responded, though he did sound a little confused.

I nodded. "Your personalities can definitely be male or female, but just by looking at you, I wouldn't be able to tell. That's what I mean." I then cleared my throat and added, "With humans, it's different. Human females look entirely different from human males, and a lot of times they act really different too."

"How do they look different?" the digimon asked curiously.

"Do you know how to read?" I asked him as I opened my eyes. The digimon nodded and I pointed to a magazine rack beside the chair he was in. "There should be a book in that rack beside you that's titled 'Gray's Anatomy for Students'. It should be blue on the front." A few seconds later Guilmon pulled the book out and opened it. "Turn to Appendix C. It'll be in the back of the book." Guilmon nodded again and did as I asked, and I walked over to him as he turned to the designated page. On it were charts of the naked human body, as well as the differences between the two. I pointed to them and said, "This is a male body on the left, and this is a female. See the differences?"

The digimon studied them intently for a few moments before nodding. "I guess humans really are different."

I nodded. "Yeah, we are." I then took the book from him and closed it, placing it back in the rack. "There's a lot of things that make us not only unique to other living things, but unique to each other too. It is said that no two humans are ever exactly alike, even if they're 'identical' twins."

"Shower's free!" shouted Lexia from upstairs, so I nodded to Guilmon before heading upstairs to shower.

**Renamon****'****s****PoV**

As I descended the stairs and passed my tamer, I couldn't help but smirk at him and tickle his palm with my tail, hinting at something I had a feeling he'd pick up on. When he smirked back and grinned deviously, I knew my point had gotten across, so I allowed myself a smile as I made my way to the main room.

* * *

Guilmon was waiting for me when I arrived, and he had a wide smile on his face as he relaxed after such an extravagant meal, which I had expected. I decided to have a little fun, so I silently crept up behind the resting digimon until I was mere inches away and...

"I can't hear you but I know you're there." he stated flatly, not moving or opening his eyes.

I sighed and vaulted the seat he was on before sitting beside him. "How did you know I was behind you?"

Without moving anything but his arm, he pointed to his nose. "Unless you find a way to hide your scent, I'll always be able to find you."

To anyone else, Guilmon would just be saying that I couldn't hide from him, but I knew him better than that. To me or any of his friends, what he just said was his way of saying that he'd always be there for me...and the very thought made me feel warm and secure. I prided myself on knowing that no matter what came along, I'd have the strength to get through it, but once in awhile it was nice to simply let my guard down and truly relax, knowing that Guilmon and Daniel would look out for me.

When I honestly thought about it, it was strange that my life had become so calm in comparison to the way things used to be. Where once I would be fighting for my life nearly every day, now I had the security available to me to allow me to simply relax and enjoy the quiet times. I loved battle...I would _always_ love battle - it was a part of who I was...but it would be dishonest to claim that I didn't thoroughly enjoy the peace that came with Daniel in my life.

"Danielmon is changing, Lexiamon." the digimon beside me murmured. I turned to him and he opened one eye to look at me. "I know you noticed too."

I nodded slowly. "I have."

"Are you gonna to tell him?" Guilmon asked with concern.

"I'm pretty sure he already knows." I responded plainly.

Guilmon's other eye opened and he shook his head. "It's not good for him to not know what's happening to him. You need to tell him."

I sighed and nodded. "I know...I'm just not sure how."

"Just tell him the truth, and keep it simple." he responded with a smile.

It was times like this that I was reminded of just how intelligent Guilmon really was. True, he was innocent in many ways and childish in others, but he was far from stupid. His brain worked in such a way as to see things in simplest terms, without complicating them and making problems or situations more intimidating. It was part of the reason I grew to like him as much as I do. When I would begin to stress about a situation that seemed too big to handle, he would always have a way of allowing me to see just how things really were, and he coaxed me into seeing the world with an unbiased and clear mind.

Truth be told, I had been lost without him for those many years.

With my dream that came about overnight as well as little feelings I'd been having here and there over the course of the past months, I was becoming steadily more excited about the very real possibility of seeing Rika again. But along with that excitement also came a very real fear of mine...

How would she react to Daniel?

Daniel was my tamer now, which meant that I was bound to him for the foreseeable future...this also meant that Rika was no longer bound to me in such a way, and may never be again. Would she hate him for this? Would she hate _me_? The answers to these questions I did not know, but what I _did_ know is that I didn't want to lose either of them. It nearly destroyed me when I lost contact with Rika, and I honestly did not believe I could go through that again...

But Daniel was a different story.

I loved him...and I'd never been in love before. For all I knew, I might be the first digimon to fall for their tamer, or even _feel_ romantic love for that matter. I had no idea how I'd react to losing Daniel should something happen, but suffice to say it wouldn't be good. When Guilmon was taken from me, I went on a rampage for almost an entire month, seeking out and destroying whoever I could find.

Sovereigns only know how I'd react to losing Daniel.

"Your turn, Guilmon." shouted Daniel as he made his way down to the lower level. "And hurry up, you smell like a Denny's during dinner time."

"Denny's?" my digimon companion asked in confusion.

Daniel rolled his eyes and jerked his thumb upstairs. "Nevermind, just go wash up." Guilmon vacated the room, so my tamer made is way over to me with a feral grin. "Now then, you were playing a dangerous game this morning, little missy."

Over the passing days and weeks, Daniel's form had changed ever so slightly. His hair was now more akin to a mane, being wild and spiky, and his canines had grown to be long and dangerous like mine. His muscle mass had increased, as had his sense of smell and hearing. All of this mattered because I decided that he needed to know what was happening to him...all of it.

"Daniel." I breathed gently.

He looked into my eyes with a grin. "Yes?"

I grabbed his hand in my own and pulled him with me to his sofa, which we both sat down upon.

**Daniel****'****s****PoV**

When it came to fooling around in any way, Lex was just about even with me in that respect...so for her to suddenly drop it and get serious, I knew she had something very important to say.

We sat silently for a minute or so before she finally looked up to meet my eyes, and in them I saw nervousness and a little fear. She sighed before starting with, "We need to talk about you, and how you've been changing."

I found it odd that she was bringing this up all of the sudden, but I guess I _did_ want some answers, so I held her paw tightly and smiled. "Okay. I'm ready for whatever you have to tell me."

She nodded and seemed a little less nervous at my behavior, so she continued with, "Well, it's because of your exposure to the digital realm. You see, you're biological by nature, but in order to live here, your body was changed into digital code. It's something I didn't anticipate, and I want you to know that-"

I squeezed one of her fingers firmly and smiled. "I don't blame you, Lex...and do you really think it bothers me that much?" I ran my index finger over one of my canines and smiled. "I mean I'm not gonna lie, I was surprised at first, but it's actually kind of cool. I was always a little different from most people I knew, so this just makes me look different too."

"And you're really okay with that?" she asked in confusion.

I shrugged. "You still care about me, don't you?" She nodded. "And I know Guilmon likes me, so that's all I need. So long as I don't start growing fur or anything, I'm good."

She took this in and nodded with a smile, relieved, but then she cleared her throat and added, "I should also tell you that this is likely irreversible...which means if we ever get you back to Earth, you would probably keep looking the same."

I shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it. Besides, I don't want to go anywhere without you, and I think you know that already."

Lex smiled and squeezed my hand as she stood. "Come, let's get ready to meet your new neighbors."

* * *

Guilmon finished cleaning himself, so the three of us set about walking around the town. This would make only the second time Guilmon had been here, Lexia's second time, and my third...so needless to say, we all kept calm and attempted to not draw attention to ourselves. It wasn't as if they could attack us here, but neither did we want the trouble of anything, really. Not that I was unsure we could handle it, but I just preferred to keep the stress-meter at a 2/10.

As the three of us made our way around town, we got quite a few looks from the avatars and digimon there. Some jealous, some surprised, and others...well I couldn't really figure out. I do know that a few times I was growling protectively when any of them would stare at Lex...and I could swear I saw her smirk seductively at me those times as well.

Guilmon on the other hand had been in his own little world most of the time. I had bought him an ice cream cone and a yo-yo, and these seemed to keep him completely busy. Truth be told I was actually a little jealous of just how dextrous he was with those huge claws, but eh...I can't have everything.

Anyway, as we settled into our normal training regimen as the day began to wane, we got even more curious expressions from the avatars and digimon...well the digimon anyway. The avatars just stared. Of course to them, it just looked like a tamer player and his two friends were running a circuit around the town over and over again, but what they don't know won't hurt them I guess...or us, for that matter.

As our nice jaunt around the area was finished and the three of us were now panting with a good sweat worked up, we took a rest near the central fountain. The last time we'd been here we had to be worried about people following us back home, but now that we lived within the town limits, we didn't really have anything to worry about.

At least that's what I would have liked to believe.

The three of us had been watched intently by everyone ever since we had made ourselves known here, and while I wasn't nervous about attack or anything, the stares made me uncomfortable...especially when they were directed at Lexia.

"You're not doing yourself any favors by doing that, you know." said a voice beside me, catching me in the middle of a growl. I looked to see a Gatomon sitting there...without a globe.

"You're real." I stated plainly.

It nodded with a smile. "I am," the small feline then pointed a claw at me, "and so are you."

I didn't bother denying it, so I just nodded. "I am...all three of us are."

"How did you get here?" the Gatomon asked curiously.

I jerked my head slightly towards Lexia and said, "She brought me here somehow. If you want to know more, you'd have to talk to her about it, because I have _no_ idea how she did it."

The small feline made its way over to the Renamon and began speaking with her. I tuned the conversation out, as it wasn't my business really. If Lex thought I needed to know something, she'd let me know. So instead of eavesdropping, I leaned back against the base of the fountain I was sitting in front of and just relaxed, letting the cool air of early fall wash over me.

* * *

I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes again, it was to be surrounded by a dozen or so sets of eyes, all belonging to avatars.

I sat up quickly and all of them moved back, but to the side of me I found a very nervous-looking Renamon. I just shook my head to her and offered a comforting smile, which also caused Guilmon to retract the snarl he was currently wearing and instead sit down next to Lex, playing with his yo-yo.

I stretched my arms and let my back pop a few times before leveling my gaze with the crowd. "Okay, what's going on? Never seen a marine before or something?"

A male avatar with a red jacket and a cowboy hat stepped forward and said, "You look different from all of us...and you move different too."

"You're not going to try and lynch me or something now, are you?" I asked with a chuckle. Lexia and Guilmon stood and growled at this, but I waved them off and said, "That was a joke. Chill."

"I didn't know the boss mobs could come into the town." another avatar said in the monotone voice they all had.

It irked me a lot that they were talking about me as if I weren't there, but I had to remind myself that to them, I was just a simple NPC in a world they interfaced with from their computer.

Even so...I had to restrain myself from growling loudly.

I figured that we'd spent enough time in the company of creepers, so I turned my head to look at the small white feline digimon and asked, "You seem pretty nice. Will we see you again?"

The digimon nodded and smiled. "Sure you will. I come here every fourth day, so I'll see you then."

I smiled and nodded. "Sounds good. We're going to get out of here, so we'll see you around, Gatomon."

"You will. See you later, Tamer Daniel." the small digimon responded before scampering away.

I ignored the prying eyes of the avatars that were so rudely invading my personal space and just stood up and took Lexia's paw in my hand before quickly striding away towards home, with Guilmon flanking my other side.

* * *

The three of us arrived back at our home in time to slam the door and lock it, keeping the small crowd of annoying avatars from bothering us further. So now that we were home, the three of us went about taking showers again to clean up, and we decided to do the rest of our training at home.

As I waited for Lex to get out of the shower, I thought I'd warm myself up with some push-ups. It felt odd that I rarely actually did push-ups anymore, but my training accounted for the muscles they worked anyway, so I didn't really need to. Still, it gave me something to do while I waited...and it also allowed me to gauge exactly how strong I'd gotten.

Where once I would have trouble doing one-handed pushups, I now was doing handstand pushups...on my fingertips.

I knew for a fact that this hadn't come about only from the training...this had to be something to do with the changes that had come about from being in this world. At first the physical changes that could be seen had been pretty unnerving, but I brushed them off. I mean when it came right down to it, I was never the most vain guy anyway, so my looks weren't important to me, at least to a degree. Granted I didn't want to turn out to look like a digimon, but the subtle changes so far actually looked..._cool_.

"You're up, Daniel!" shouted Lex from upstairs, so I bounded up to the second level and went about cleaning myself up.

* * *

The three of us trained, ate, and then set about relaxing in the family room, swapping stories and such as we drank a bit. I was beyond pleased to find that the "AI" within this world made and sold their own alcohols, which just cemented my reasoning that they _must_ be sentient and real. Granted they didn't have rum (which sucked), but they _did_ have mead...which by the way is awesome.

So, as the three of us traded different stories of our lives, I relaxed in the warm security of the Renamon's lap, enjoying that she was running her claws through my hair.

For the next few hours we just sat like this, enjoying storytelling and getting to know each other even better (if that's possible) as the digital sun made its daily trek towards the western horizon.

As night began to fall, Guilmon fell asleep early as he usually did, but Lex and I were still wide-awake, so I gently picked up the smaller red digimon and slung his arm around my neck before carrying him to his bed and laying him down to sleep...leaving just Lex and I to our own devices.

I eyed the digimon with a ravenous hunger that her own eyes mimicked, and I nearly pounced upon her as I shut the door to Guilmon's bedroom behind me.

* * *

Lex lay against my bare chest as the two of us bathed in the closeness offered to us after the feral "playtime" she had wrought on me (which I was more than happy to participate in).

I could feel the Renamon's heartbeat as her chest was pressed against my own, and even the scent of her pheromones added to the relaxing atmosphere. At that moment, in her arms, there was nowhere in either world I'd rather be.

For the longest time the two of us laid awake, simply enjoying the comfort of one another's embrace until she finally spoke up.

"Daniel?" Lex whispered from her place beside me.

I opened my left eye and looked at her with a loving grin. "Yes beautiful?"

Lex always blushed when I called her beautiful, and now was no exception. She still composed herself though and asked, "How do you think Rika will react to you...to _us_?"

I placed my hand to rest on the back of her thigh and responded, "I'm not really sure. She's going to be surprised I think, but beyond that I have no idea." I then looked to Lexia and locked eyes with her. "Why...what do _you_ think she'll do?"

The golden vixen shrugged softly as she chewed her lip nervously. "I hope she doesn't hate me or anything. I mean a lot to Rika, and she to me...but I was also her pillar of strength. If she feels that you stole me from her, she might blame everything on you."

I shrugged. "I'm a marine, Lex. I can take whatever she can deal out."

"I just want you to know that it's not your fault...and while I love her, our time is done." the kitsune assured.

I nodded as I kneaded her thigh, making her purr softly. "It's okay, Lex. I'm no stranger to awkward situations, and I'm ready to power through it for you."

Lexia smiled and pushed her lips against mine in a kiss, full of both love and passion, yet as soft as silk.

For the next few minutes, we let our mouths speak silent words to each other, as silent assurances of love and desire were passed from my lips to hers...and from hers to mine. My nerves lit up with excitement as her fur caressed my bare chest, and my mind became foggy with the feelings of utter contentment that she constantly brought upon me. It was one of the few times in my life that I honestly didn't want to be anywhere else...ever.

Lex made me a better me, and I'd like to think I did the same for her. I loved her completely, and was quite comfortable with that fact in body, mind, and soul...and as I drifted off to sleep in her arms that night, I knew that no matter what might come our way, we - the three of us - could get through it together.

I love you, Lexia.


	11. Ch 11: Digiality

**A/N: Frost is fuckin' back, baby! Here's another good chapter that I've been working on for awhile, so please R&R and let me know what you think. Stay awesome, ya'll.**

**To wolfoftheabyss5 - _RN: It's hard to say. How would _you_ react to being reunited with the most important person in your life after thinking you'd never see them again? With my grandmother having passed on, Renamon is the only family I have left...I _have_ to find her._**

_**Lx: No clue. I'll probably have to keep from squeezing her to death in a hug, but beyond that I'll just have to focus and making sure she knows how much I missed her and that I never **_**ever_ forgot about her._**

**To kn4sakura - True, but Daniel has been there for many _months_...almost a year. Difference in time there, and the changes are just _now _taking hold.**

**To callmeBaby'08 - Well you'll be finding out soon. Enjoy!**

**To TheLonelyNinja - Well if you like that, you'll love this chapter. Enjoy!**

**To zsd brony - It's all good. We all have our low moments, Broseph Stalin.**

**To Killer Reaper - Me to, brah.**

**Disclaimer: ****I own nothing to do with any of the Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Digiality

**Rika's PoV**

This was it...today was the day.

The days, weeks, and months dragged by as Henry worked on the dimensional gate. Work kept me busy for the most part, and whenever I was not actively working, I was spending time with Takato and Henry. Even with the full schedule we had, the mere anticipation of what was to come had made time seem to pass much slower than it actually did. It was both aggravating and exciting at the same time, and as our goal became closer and more real, our anxiety only grew.

Well the time for waiting was now over.

I had filed for a leave of absence with the corporation, having basically threatened a doctor into deeming me severely stressed and in need of time to gather my bearings. While with my track record I could continue my career nearly anywhere in the world, I didn't want to burn a bridge just because I was impatient. Patience is a sign of intelligence and control, and with that it was also a sign of strength and foresight.

Renamon had taught me that.

Thankfully, my patience and planning had given me the freedom and time to handle this...however it may need to be. I was completely unsure of how this was going to go of course, but I didn't care. I missed her with all of my heart, and I hoped with that same heart that Renamon missed me as well. There was a small fear within me that would surface from time to time ‒ it whispered to me that Renamon had completely forgotten about me...or perhaps worse, that she hated me. Thankfully, these thoughts no longer gripped me in their cold embrace. I knew the truth because I knew Renamon, just as she knew me. I knew that she cared deeply about me, and that she didn't blame me for what happened all those years ago.

It was a truth that I clutched to in order to keep going.

* * *

As I finished showering and packing several outfits into my pack, I crouched low into my closet and fished out an unassuming locked case. Without delay, I opened it...and smiled softly at what lay within.

It was a replica of my old shirt I wore during my time with Renamon, aptly named "heartbreak" by the vixen. Where once it personified my emotional damage brought about by the loss of my father, I repaired it upon realizing how much I cared for Renamon and my friends...making it simply "the heart". The original shirt was lost long ago when I moved, and I mentally berated myself for months because of my carelessness...

But then Takato showed me just how awesome he could be.

He hunted forever to find a place that made custom shirt designs, and ended up finding one in our very own town a few years back. He then took one of my favorite shirts without my knowledge so that the new tee could be made with my proper measurements, but what he did next completely surprised me.

He stitched the graphic himself.

Yes, I made fun of him for months because of the fact he was so skilled with sewing and embroidery (or whatever it's called), but in truth I was touched beyond words. The fact that he had gone through such trouble for me was nothing short of incredible...and it was at that moment that I realized just how much I treasured him as a friend. And also, simply because he knew how much I hated for others to see me cry, he sent it through the parcel service with no return address. I knew it was him of course, but the fact that I didn't expect such a surprise when I opened the package just added to the awe and happiness I felt when I unwrapped the gift that lay inside.

The memory of that day ran through my head as I cradled the unique shirt in my hands, and without thinking, I held it to my chest with a bright smile. I quickly whipped off my shirt and replaced it with the shirt in my hands, thinking that it would be perfect to wear it for this event. I then tied my shoes quickly and let my hair down before reaching into the lockbox once more to grab one last thing...

The D-Power device.

The blue and white device had been dormant ever since Renamon had returned to the digital realm, and in honesty I didn't even know _why_ I was taking it, but I figured it would be better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. With that in mind, I clipped the strap to a belt loop on my pants and hefted my pack up on my shoulder. I strode through my condo and turned off all the lights before grabbing my keys and wallet. I took one last look at the place I had come to call home before exiting, locking the door behind me.

* * *

Never have I driven so fast in my life.

The streets were clear, and police patrols in this area of the city were unheard-of anyway, so I gunned the engine and flew down the highway, going at least 150mph in my ZR1. Sure, it was American and I'd had to get it from an expensive import shop, but in honesty, I loved fast cars...and Corvettes were known for their speed. Besides, it was yellow...

Anyway, when I pulled into the abandoned hangar that held the gate, I felt my heart racing with excitement...and _not_ from the driving. This was the culmination of what felt like a lifetime of longing...finally, I was going to see Renamon again.

As I walked into the hangar, I found Henry tinkering with the gate again, more specifically the terminal that controlled it. He was typing something on the keyboard while gazing lazily into the monitor, muttering under his breath every now and then. Takato was dressed for what looked like hiking, though from our past experiences in the digital realm, that was probably a smart idea. I walked over to the relaxing man and smiled when I realized that he too had brought his D-Power device, though it was now red and white instead of the etched gold...and he also brought his old pair of goggles.

Takato noticed me staring at him and he just chuckled as he pointed to his head. "If I have even a chance at seeing Guilmon again, I want to make sure he recognizes me...and as far as I know, I'm the only one that wears these even when I'm not riding my bike." His eyes then wandered over my body, and he smiled when he saw what I was wearing underneath my jacket. "Finally wearing it, hmm?"

I subconsciously placed my right hand over the heart on the center of the shirt, and just smiled happily. "Not out of lack of wanting to...it's just that I didn't feel it was right unless she was going to see it."

He smirked as he brought his bag around to his front, and then unzipped it and began digging through the contents. After a few minutes, he locked eyes with me and pulled out a ballcap-style hat, and a beanie ‒ the hat being yellow and lavender, and the beanie red and black. I thought this strange until I saw the designs on the headwear...

The yellow hat had a very unique graphic on the front, with a yin-yang in the middle with what looked like two lavender balls of energy circling it. The red had was covered in jagged black stripes, and held a black digital hazard symbol on the front.

I smiled wide and stifled a laugh. "Wow gogglehead...I didn't know you could be this corny."

His face changed to one of mock-offense as he began putting the violet hat away. "Well if you don't want it..."

"No!" I answered forcefully, and then felt embarrassed for my outburst.

Takato grinned and tossed the hat over to me. "That's what I thought."

I grumbled a bit at his stint of victory, but secretly was again joyfully surprised by him. This would make the second time that a mere gift from Takato had caused me to feel so amazing about having him as a friend, so without thinking I brushed my hair back with my hand and put the hat on.

Takato walked over to me and inspected me for a moment before smiling. "Cool, I got the measurement right. I was afraid it was going to be too small, but thankfully for you I have a good eye for detail."

I let a small smile grace my own face as I whispered, "Thanks...I love it."

"I knew you would." he whispered back. The goggle-headed man removed said goggles before placing the beanie on his head, and then fixing the goggles to their rightful place again. "Alright then, looks like we're all set. Did you bring some eats?"

I nodded and patted my pack. "Mostly granola and things like that. Could last us for about a month if we need it to."

"That shouldn't be necessary." I heard Henry announce, and Takato and I looked to the blue-haired man. He was busy at work on the console still, and waved us over to him. "By the way I've calibrated this, I should be able to put you in a place that has everything you'd need."

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"Well," he started, pointing at the monitor screen, "this seems to be a neutral area in the digital realm. I've been observing it for a long time to make sure, but there doesn't seem to be any fighting that takes place in this area. I have a suspicion that the barrier that covers it somehow negates digimon's powers."

I nodded. "Which is good for us, because there's no telling how long it'll take us to find Renamon and Guilmon."

"If they're even still alive..." Takato added, a little disheartened.

I was surprised to see Henry grinning as he said, "Actually..." Takato and I watched as Henry began typing furiously at the keyboard for a few moments, bringing up several different windows and accessing them at lightning-fast speeds the likes of which would make Renamon jealous. "One of the things this terminal allows me to do is keep active watch over the digital realm. It's nothing like video or anything, mostly snapshots and mapping coordinates that refer to a given place within the digital world. It's how I've been monitoring the situation there and how I found this little settlement."

"Okay," I responded as I tapped my foot impatiently, "seems logical. What does that mean for us though, besides safety?"

Henry brushed his shaggy hair out of his eyes and grinned. "I was getting to that." He closed out a few windows before opening up another, which showed a large collection of different pictures he'd taken. "Now," he started, clicking on the first one, "this is how I've kept track of what's going on there. Unfortunately, something prevents me from taking a snapshot but once every twelve hours, and you should know that time passes twice as fast there, so in actuality it's only once a day in the digital realm. This is how I've kept tabs on things to make sure it's safe."

"And how long have you been doing this?" the brown-haired man to my right questioned.

Henry shrugged. "Probably since the last time you two were here, six months ago. I know that seems a little excessive, but I just wanted to be extra sure before I picked this for your insertion point." He then went through a couple other photos. "And then I came upon this.." The next few pictures were of some sort of entry into the settlement, and it appeared it was the only way in or out. "This seems to be the only place someone can get into or out of the settlement, which is good because it makes watching what happens there a lot easier."

"Why is it so dark everywhere?" I asked, noticing just how dim the snapshots had been.

Henry took a look of deep thinking and sighed. "I'm not really sure. My only guess is that with the interval of one snapshot every twelve hours that I've been taking, I must have been taking it at night or really early in the morning." He then sat back in the chair and sighed. "It's taken a long time, but I got a lot of useful data out of it."

As he continued to cycle through the pictures, I noticed something very peculiar...

"There's a lot of people there." I stated.

Henry shook his head softly. "I don't think they're real people. By the way they behave, I believe they're avatars of some sort, with a person controlling them from the outside...wherever that 'outside' may be." He then zoomed in on one of the snapshots and pointed to a curious floating globe behind one of the "people". "That sphere is what I believe offers the person controlling that avatar to see into the world. To put it simply, anyone that has one of those globes hanging around them is an avatar. The strange thing is that I've found that there are also digimon avatars as well."

"Why would digimon need an avatar in the digital world?" I asked in confusion.

Takato stepped in and furrowed his brow. "That wouldn't make sense. I think that humans are controlling all the avatars."

Henry nodded. "I agree. When you two get there, a real digimon could explain everything to you, if it's willing. Just look for one without one of those viewing globes...that'll be a real digimon."

"Well the easiest ones to ask would be Renamon and Guilmon, but we have no idea where they are or if they've even been to this little town." Takato mused aloud.

"That's...not entirely accurate." Henry answered with a smug grin. I raised an eyebrow at the blue-haired man, but he just continued thumbing his way through the snapshots before stopping on one. He opened it and the snapshot filled the screen, and he just scooted away from the terminal. "Check it out...see anything interesting?"

I did as he asked and moved closer with Takato to look at the picture. After a few minutes I backed away and shook my head. "Not really."

Henry chuckled and scooted up to the keyboard again. "I missed it at first too, but by complete luck I happened to be messing with the zoom function when this snapshot was taken," he panned the image to the bottom left, near the entry gate, and then zoomed in close, "and that's when I found this." Again I scanned my eyes over the image, looking for anything that would seem suspicious or interesting...and then I noticed a slightly blurry shape near the archway of the town gate.

And then I saw the white-tipped yellow tail.

"R-Renamon?" I managed to choke out.

Henry smiled again and thumbed to the next image...

Takato immediately pointed at the screen and exclaimed, "That's Guilmon!"

Our computer-savvy friend nodded and smiled. "Yep. I got ahold of these a few months ago, but didn't recently notice anything until a few nights ago, when I installed a new graphics card that sharpened the images." He then thumbed through the other images as he continued talking. "I've tracked their movements, and ever since that first night, they haven't strayed very far away from the town. I think they're living there. And before you ask, yes...that's part of the reason I've kept close tabs on this place." The last image was of Renamon standing alone out in front of one of the houses, looking up at the sky...seemingly right at the perspective of the snapshot.

"When was that last image taken?" I asked in contained excitement.

Henry typed a few words and another window popped up, showing a timestamp. "About three days ago. They haven't seem to have gone anywhere, but I wanted to make sure before jumping to any conclusions."

I looked to the screen before letting my eyes wander over to the gate. I then looked back to the two young men with a smile. "Let's do this."

Henry nodded and motioned us over to the gate. "Alright you two, I'll make sure things are okay on this end. You'll need someone on the inside ‒ or rather the outside ‒ to make sure you two can make your way back here. I'll let you know ahead of time that by my calculations, you're still going to be stuck there for the equivalent of a month to allow the gate to recharge and for me to recalibrate it, which equals two months there...so get comfortable." He typed a command into the terminal and the large gate began to hum with power as the multiple diodes along the curved interior began to spark with power. A second later, arcs of electricity all met in the center of the gate, and exploded into what looked like a mirror. Henry then looked over to us and said, "Last chance to back out if you're not ready for this."

I focused my gaze on the shiny fluid-like surface in front of us and shook my head. "No...we're ready." I then felt as Takato's gloved hand took my own, and I looked up to meet my eyes with his of crimson.

He smiled and said, "I'm beside you the whole way, Rika. Let's do this."

I nodded and stepped forward to the gate, passing through the archway and into darkness.

* * *

The first sensation I felt was something soft...and then warm. Everywhere else felt cold for some reason, and not soft, so I unconsciously tried to get closer to the source of the warmth.

"Umm...Rika?"

Oh no...

I opened my eyes to see blue first, and then noticed that my face was pressed into the soft, warm blue thing. I pushed myself up to see that I had actually been rubbing my face happily into Takato's (thankfully clothed) stomach...and immediately a blush rose to my cheeks as embarrassment overtook me.

Silence reigned for a few moments before I sighed and said, "You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Nope."

I grumbled and stood up, brushing myself off and securing my pack to me. I then looked around curiously before spotting our destination. "Alright, we're close. C'mon, gogglehead."

As we started to walk towards the town, I couldn't help but feel a little nervous...mostly because of the fact that we were vulnerable out here without any partners of our own, but also because of the upcoming meeting with Renamon...providing she was in the settlement right now. With that in mind, I quickly picked up my pace until me and my companion were jogging towards the gate ahead of us, eager to get inside into safety.

* * *

Thankfully we arrived a few minutes later without incident, but were stopped when the barrier wouldn't let us through. We kicked it, punched it, rammed it...but to no avail. Eventually the two of us sat down to the side of the archway, panting for breath.

My anger at being so close to my objective began to eat at me until I finally just let out a loud yell of frustration.

When I turned to Takato, it was to see his eyebrow raised. He asked, "You alright there Rika?"

I composed myself and sighed. "It's just that we're here...we're _right here_, and we get stopped because the stupid barrier won't let us through."

He scooted closer to me and nudged me gently. "Cheer up. We'll think of something."

"Need a hand?" inquired a deep voice from in front of me.

I looked up to see a tall man with wild spiky hair the color of goldenrod. His arms were covered in tattoos, as well as strange skull-shaped markings on one arm. His eyes gleamed with gentleness, but just from looking at him I could tell he could do serious damage if he wanted to. It was at that moment I also noticed something very peculiar...

He didn't have a "globe".

I raised an eyebrow as I let him pull me up, and once standing I uttered, "You're not an avatar, are you?"

He pulled Takato up and smiled. "Nope, and neither are you two."

I nodded. "Correct." I then pointed to the dome and frowned. "We can't seem to get through."

He chuckled in response and yelled out, "Hey Crispy!"

I was about to ask what he was doing, but then another man appeared at the small guardpost from inside the barrier dome. The man was dressed in a uniform, so I assumed he must be the person that was to let us in, and I was pleased to find that he _also_ did not have a "globe" with him.

The man waved to the tattooed man in front of us and smiled. "Hey there Daniel. Sorry about that, I was getting a drink."

This "Daniel" simply nodded and motioned to Takato and I. "I have some guests with me. Do you mind if they follow?"

The guard shrugged. "Not at all. Give me a sec."

We waited for a few moments, but thankfully the barrier opened just a small bit, allowing us room to walk through. As we did so, Daniel waved to the guard with a smile and a word of thanks, and without any other word, we set about making our way into the town with our new found acquaintance.

* * *

He was silent for quite some time until we approached a fountain near the center of the town, at which point he turned to me and said, "I know who you are, Ms. Nonaka." He then turned to Takato with an unreadable expression. "And you too, gogglehead."

The goggle-wearing man beside me groaned out, "Ugh...is that nickname going to follow me _everywhere_?"

I refrained from picking on my companion and instead focused my gaze on the man that had given us access to the town. "How do you know us?"

The gold-haired man grinned. "I know quite a bit about you both, actually...like the fact you're looking for a Renamon and a Guilmon, aren't you?" I gasped in shock, and he just nodded. "And before you ask, yes...I'm pretty sure I know your friends."

Suddenly my brain just seemed to stop...and then it rebooted.

The first emotion that flowed through me was confusion. Confusion at how this stranger knew us, how he knew Renamon and Guilmon, and just _who_ he was. The next emotion was unbridled happiness at knowing that I was likely going to quickly cash in on all of Henry's hard work.

I'd have to remember to thank him when we got back home.

"Do you want to go see them?" Daniel asked, causing my mind to register the question and immediately go into overdrive.

Without thinking I shouted out, "Yes!"

The man then looked to my friend and asked, "Are you okay over there Mr. Matsuki?"

I looked to Takato to see him standing there with his mouth wide open. I reached over and gently closed his mouth, quipping, "Keep that closed or you'll catch flies in there."

He gathered his bearings and shook the cobwebs from his mind before exclaiming, "Take me to Guilmon right now!"

Daniel calmly chuckled. "Easy there, cowboy. I'll take you to them, there's no need to worry." He then turned on his heel and started walking further into town. "Come on...I'll take you there. Keep up or get left behind."

The man was tall in comparison to me, so I had to struggle to keep up with his long strides, but knowing that he was supposedly leading me to my only living family in life gave me the drive to do so.

As we followed from behind, Takato suddenly blurted, "You were a marine?"

Daniel chuckled again and nodded without turning his head. "Recognize that tattoo, do ya? Yep, I was in the USMC for a little while. Went to Iraq during the war, actually."

"The US was at war with Iraq? I don't remember this." I answered in interest.

Suddenly he stopped, and turned to face Takato and I. "I guess before we get any further, I should explain something. Now bear with me because it's going to be strange, okay?" We both nodded, so he sighed and continued. "I'm not from the same Earth that you are from. In my dimension, digimon as a whole and even you all are simply from a manga series and TV show. Digimon don't really exist, and neither do either of you. Follow me so far?" I was a little shocked, but nodded. "Okay then. With that being the case, much of the world you remember doesn't exist in mine. Locations are different, corporate entities are different...basically the whole world is a distorted mirror of the world you're from." He then pointed at Takato. "For example, humans in my world don't naturally have red eyes unless they're albino."

I frowned in confusion. "How did _you_ get here then?"

He chuckled. "Well you're just going to have to ask Lex...er, ask Renamon about that."

I was confused by his response, but nodded. Without more questions to be asked, we both continued to follow the marine through the town.

* * *

After another twenty or so minutes of walking, we arrived at a large two-story home.

Daniel made his way to the door, but before opening it, stopped and turned to us again. "Alright, I know things are going to be emotional and heartfelt here...but I'm going to warn you ahead of time that there's something here that's probably going to piss you off, so before you go into a rage about it, please allow an explanation...okay?" I flashed a look of confusion to the man, and he just chuckled. "Yes...I'm trying to make you brace yourself...you'll need it." He then turned and opened the door, and we followed him inside.

The home was lavishly furnished, even by my standards, but still held a sort of "rockstar" feel to it...and somehow I get the impression that's what the homeowner was going for.

Suddenly Daniel said, "Welcome to my home. Drop your stuff and let me get you a drink. What are you two feeling like having?"

It took me a moment to take this new information in, but I composed myself quickly. "Umm, some orange juice would be nice if you have it."

"Cola for me if you got any." Takato added.

Daniel nodded before traipsing off to what I assumed was the kitchen for a moment before quickly returning with two bottles ‒ one of some cola whose name I didn't recognize, and another of orange juice. He then sat down on the strangely shaped sofa and said, "So, you ready to meet them?"

I opened the bottle and took a drink before nodding. "I've been ready for five years."

"Only five, huh? It's been ten here..." he responded with a frown.

I nodded again. "I know. Time passes twice as fast here as it does in our world. Henry found that out...he was the one that built the dimensional gate."

"Sounds like a pretty smart guy." Daniel responded. He then stood and smiled before shouting, "Lex, Guilmon, get in here now!"

I raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "You're not going to prepare them or anything?"

The tattooed man chuckled and shrugged. "They like surprises...which means they'll _love_ this one."

We waited for a few moments until we heard what sounded like footsteps ascending stairs, and then a door near the kitchen opened...to reveal the one I'd longed to see for so long.

"_Rika?_"


	12. Ch 12: Reclamation

**A/N: Holy mother of cookie milk, _another_ chapter? Shit just got real, son. Anyhow, you all know the drill. Please R&R and let me know what you think.**

**To kn4sakura - Well unfortunately for Henry, he won't be finding out until Rika and Takato return...which is a ways off, and as far as Rika...well you'll see soon enough.**

**To callmeBaby'08 - Well here's the next update. Hope you like!**

******Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with any of the Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Reclamation

**Rika's PoV**

For several tense moments, the five of us just stood there in silence, all of our minds coming to grips with what was happening. After what felt like a lifetime, Renamon was there...and just from the way she had said my name, I could tell that she was just barely resisting screaming in happiness right then.

The silence was broken when Daniel muttered, "You four have a lot to talk about...I'll just be outside if you need me. Don't break anything, please." A few soft footfalls later, and we all heard the front door to the home close...leaving four close friends to stare at each other in shock for a few moments.

Of course, the goof that was Guilmon decided to shatter the tense atmosphere.

"Takatomon!" shouted the red reptilian, just before he rushed his best friend and tackled him to the ground in a tight embrace brought about from missing his partner for so long.

As the two boys rolled around on the floor in a fit of laughter, Renamon continued to stare directly at me the whole time, her icy blue eyes never breaking their gaze with mine of lavender. She stepped forward slowly, and I mirrored her movements until we were a mere foot apart. Achingly slow, the fox digimon reached up her large paw towards me, and I again mirrored her, lifting my hand to meet her...and when we finally touched, tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she smiled.

"Rika..." she breathed out. Contrary to what I expected, she did not rush at all as she closed the distance between us and enveloped me in her powerful arms...as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

And it was.

She was my best friend, my other side. She was me, and she was everything I wished I could be. But most of all, she was my sister, and the most important person in my life. And so without even questioning it, I wrapped my own arms around her and cried in joy.

* * *

**Daniel's PoV**

I sat outside on my front steps, simply enjoying the warm day and knowing that Lex was happy beyond words right now. The way her face lit up at the sight of Rika was something that couldn't be replicated...even by me.

Oddly enough, I didn't mind.

For the first time in my life, I was completely secure in my position in someone's life. I couldn't expect for Lexia to feel the same about me as she does for Rika, and frankly, neither did I want that to be the case. Rika and Lex were family, and I knew for a fact that after being separated for so long, it probably felt like Christmas to a factor of one-hundred. While it was true I had replaced Rika as Lexia's tamer, I did _not_ want to replace the girl in any other way. Lexia's love and memories of Rika were as much a part of who she was as her tail, or even her beautiful laugh. It was something that made Lex who she was...

And I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

As I sat on the front steps of my home, I heard someone break out in sobs from within the house, which meant that Rika or Lex had finally broke down and cried under the emotional tension that was brought about from their reunion. I just chuckled to myself and tuned them out, as it wasn't really my business what the two did at this moment. After all, these four had been friends for years before I ever came into Lexia's life, so my place was on the outside for now, at least until it came to the point that Lex had to explain exactly what had changed in her life.

_That_ was going to be a stressful conversation.

Still, I knew it meant a lot to Lex, and while I didn't know Rika all that well, this was something I would need to be there for in order to work things out somehow. The only thing that really worried me was what the Renamon would do when the two other humans had to return home. As irrational as it was, I feared that Lex would find that she missed Rika more than she cared about me...and if and when the time came, she would choose to leave me behind rather than say goodbye to the woman she was reunited with.

I didn't like thinking about it though, because the more I thought about it, the more that fear held merit.

And so, I did what I always do whenever I need to clear my mind: I decided to have a good run.

* * *

I ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran until my muscles burned like a fire and my veins pumped battery acid...

Then I ran some more.

Eventually, I actually collapsed after what must have been a few hours and nearly three dozen laps around the entire town at full speed...but I was utterly pissed to find that the thoughts hadn't abated at all, they'd only intensified. For the first time in a long time, I was scared...scared that I was _again_ going to lose the most important person in my life. The worst part about it was that if it happened...I knew I wouldn't be able to bring myself to stop her. It was strange, because usually I was very clear with what I wanted, and when it was warranted, I took what I wanted...by force if necessary.

This was different though.

Lex was as strong-willed as I was, if not more so. I knew for a fact that she would fight ‒ fang and claw if needed ‒ to get what she was after...and I'm pretty sure she could still take me. Even with that being the case, I knew she was also soft and vulnerable at times as well...and even though it would be easy to take advantage of that, I couldn't bring myself to do that to her. I cared about Lexia too much to use her that way, and I knew that she would be unhappy.

So what would I do?

If Lex and Guilmon decided to return to Earth with the two tamers, I would for the third time in my life be alone...and truth be told, I didn't know if I could survive that again. I didn't even want to _think_ about the possibility, but something my brother had taught me was to be prepared for any and all outcomes the best that you possibly could...hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.

* * *

For the next hour or so I just walked around the town, mostly keeping to myself. There were of course a few run-ins with player avatars, but nothing violent of course. Mostly them just bothering me and asking questions about the "game", like how I changed how my avatar looks, how I move the way I do...things like that.

It no longer irked me...instead, I just found it funny.

Truthfully, I now enjoyed the attention. After all, I got to be the ultimate actor. I'd come to find out in the recent months that unlike avatars, my speech didn't show up as text to them...instead, it was really me, speaking to them through their...well, speakers.

Holy shit, the world makes sense now...I understand EVERYTHING!

Okay...I'm done.

Anyway, I soon found myself in the main square, sitting against a familiar fountain, next to a familiar Gatomon. Her and I spoke at length about what had transpired during the past year, as well as the two visitors that had made their way to the digital realm today.

"So what do you think of it all?" the small white digimon asked.

I shrugged. "I think it's great. Lex has missed this Rika girl for the longest time, and now she gets to see her and catch up on all that's happened."

For a long moment Gatomon was silent before asking, "And what does that mean for you?"

I looked down to the small cat-like digimon and raised my eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're a smart man Daniel, so I know you've at least thought about what might happen when these humans return home."

Again the fear struck me, and I just lowered my gaze to the ground and nodded. "Yeah...I have."

"And?" she prodded curiously.

I sat still and sighed again. "I'm worried that she'll realize she cares about Rika more than she does me...and when she leaves, Lex will choose to go with her." I growled softly and shook my head. "Maybe it's a stupid fear, but it's real to me."

I felt as Gatomon's paw patted my shin, and then she said, "If it's real to you, it's not stupid. We're all afraid of things, Daniel...and it's okay to be scared."

I nodded and smiled lightly down at the cat digimon. "Thanks Gatomon." I then stretched a bit and stood. "Well, I guess it's about time for me to head back, as I'm sure Rika has questions that only I can answer. Are you going to be okay here?"

She nodded with a grin. "Oh yeah, I'll be fine. You take care of yourself, Daniel."

"You too." I answered back, before turning on my heel and heading home.

* * *

I finally approached my home again, and instantly, nervousness set in. There was really no getting around it...explaining what was going on between Lex and I was going to be rather unpleasant. With a few deep breaths to calm myself, I placed my hand on the doorknob, opened the door, and walked in.

"Daniel!" shouted who could only be Lex, and as I scanned the family room I did indeed see a certain vixen glaring angrily at me. "Where have _you_ been for the past," she glanced at the clock, "two hours?"

I chuckled nervously and scratched my neck. "Just um, taking a walk."

Lex sent me a withering gaze that said we'd talk about this later, but for the moment she simply patted the spot next to her. "Come take a seat. We have something to explain to Rika, and I have a feeling you know what."

I sighed and did as she asked, taking my place next to the yellow fox, with Rika sitting on the other side. For a few tense moments not one of us said a word as Rika and Takato simply wondered what we were going to say, but thankfully Lex finally cleared her throat and turned her gaze to the girl next to her.

"Rika, many things have changed since you and I have been separated." she started, obviously testing the waters first.

The red-headed girl simply focused on the vixen and nodded. "It's been ten years for you, so I assume so...but since you're having to explain it to me, I take it it's not something readily observable, right?"

Lexia nodded slowly. "As I expected, you're still sharp as a needle, Rika. Yes, it is something not readily known unless we were to tell you." She then placed her paw on the girl's hand and asked, "May I see the your D-Power?" Rika nodded and unclipped the blue and white device from her pants before handing it over, at which point Lex took it in her large paw and examined it. "It is inactive," she then looked to her former tamer, "and I assume it has been ever since digimon were banished from Earth, correct?" Rika nodded at this, so the fox handed the device back to her. Lex then looked to me and nodded, so I unclipped my black and violet device and handed it over.

"I-is that...?" Rika stuttered out.

Lex nodded sadly. "Yes...he has a D-Power device."

"And it's active..." the girl observed.

Again, the kitsune nodded. "Yes. I'll let you work out who his partner is."

Rika immediately locked eyes with her former partner and I could see the slight sadness in her eyes as she the realization hit her. "It's you...right?"

Lex nodded slowly. "Yes."

Rika looked down at her dormant device and asked, "How did it happen?"

Lex then went through the entire explanation of our partnership, starting from when she had tried to find Rika all those years, all the way up to the point when she met me through the internet with the "game" as a facilitator, and upon my playful (albeit misunderstood) go ahead, she used the digital energy she gathered to bring me to her. We figured that at least for the moment, that would be enough for the girl to deal with.

She could be told about "us" later on.

It took a few moments, but eventually the fiery redhead nodded slowly and smiled. "Well, ten years is a long time to be alone, Renamon...especially after losing both me _and _Guilmon. And you _did_ say that for a long time you were trying to find me, so I can't be upset with you for that." Her smile grew and she then locked eyes with both of us. "No...if I was upset with you just because you found another tamer, I wouldn't be a very good friend, would I?" Her eyes then jumped from me to the Renamon. "Does he treat you well?"

Lex nodded with a smile. "Yes...he does. He is a hardcore trainer when it comes to getting stronger, but he also cares a great deal about Guilmon and I, and he always makes sure we know it."

Rika nodded with a grin. "Good. So long as he's better to you than I was when we first met."

Lexia shook her head and argued, "We were different people back then, Rika. It is a lifetime ago, and I hold no grudge against you for it."

"We got off to a bit of a rocky start at first." I added with a grin. "You know, what with her bringing me here all of the sudden. To be honest, when I'd agreed to it, I was just joking." I then looked at Lex and winked. "But now, there's honestly no place I'd rather be. I have a good life here, and we look out for and take care of each other. It's mutually beneficial for both of us, and I'd like to think both of our lives improved because of our partnership."

The young woman looked between the two of us and nodded before addressing Lexia. "That sounds like a really good partnership. I won't lie...it _does_ make me a little sad that I've lost a partner, but I can honestly say that I'm glad that you partnered up with Daniel...he seems to really care about you a lot, and I can tell you care for him too."

The vixen shook her head and took Rika's hand in her own before saying, "Just because you aren't my tamer anymore doesn't mean I don't care about you. You're still the most important person to me." Lex let her large paw softly stroke the girl's hand as she added, "You're my family, Rika."

At these words, I _almost_ let out a very undignified "d'awww", but thankfully I contained myself and just watched as the two girls embraced with smiles.

"There is _one_ other thing..." I heard Lex add. The vixen then turned to me while jerking her head towards Rika, and I immediately knew what she was referring to.

"Now?" I asked nervously, to which she nodded pleadingly. I sighed and said, "Alright fine." I then moved my gaze to the redhead. "Rika, there's something else you need to know about the two of us..."

The woman straightened her posture and smiled. "Alright then, what is it?"

I nervously rubbed my hair. "Well, it's kinda hard to explain..."

"We're together...romantically." Lex stated dryly.

I blinked in surprise before smiling sheepishly. "Alright, so it's easy to explain."

Rika laughed for a few moments before noticing that both Lex and I were sitting placidly. She then darted her eyes between the two of us and questioned, "Are you serious?"

I nodded slowly as I felt a soft tail wrap around my waist, and then felt as the vixen's warm body leaned back against me. "Yeah...we're serious."

Her mouth dropped open and she asked, "H-how? When?"

I felt Lex shrug as she answered, "It just sort of happened, really. We started out just as partners, and that evolved pretty quickly into something more than that. We had a fight or two at first, then we made up, then we talked about each other...like _really_ talked." I wrenched my arms out from under her body before wrapping them around her tightly, causing the vixen to sigh happily before she continued with, "I know him about as well as I know you, Rika...and I love him too. Just in a different way, of course."

I smiled and added, "Both of us were pretty broken when I was brought here. There wasn't any romantic 'we fixed each other' type of thing, more like we finally found someone we trusted enough to be around and allow ourselves to heal. I lost my mother and brother to death, and my fiancée decided to cheat on me while I was trying to build a home for us." I then nodded my head to Lex. "She lost both you and Guilmon, and was completely alone in the world for years until she found me. We just...clicked for some reason. We understand each other." I lightly kissed the top of the Renamon's head and smiled. "She even let me name her."

Rika gasped. "Really?"

Lex nodded. "Yes. He brought up one night how it was weird to call me by my species instead of by a name...so after some thought, he came up with the name Lexia."

The lavender-eyed woman smiled softly and nodded. "It's a beautiful name...it suits you somehow."

I chuckled. "_I_ thought so anyway."

"So," Lex began with a smile, "what do you think of all this?"

The woman's face fell a bit as she thought for a few minutes. Her expression showed ghosts of happiness, anger, sadness...and something else I couldn't quite quantify. After those few minutes though, she finally looked up and sighed. "I need some time with this. It's a lot to take in all at once."

"How much time do you need?" the vixen asked curiously.

Rika shrugged. "I actually need to explain something to you about that...Takato and I are stuck here for at least two months. Do you think..."

I nodded. "Of course. Mi casa es su casa. I've got a spare bedroom upstairs at the end of the hall with a queen bed, and the washroom's upstairs. You both are welcome to stay."

The redhead nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I'm gonna go upstairs and wash up then, as well as unpack some and...think."

I nodded again. "Take all the time you need. Dinner will be at 19:00."

Rika nodded once more before grabbing her bag and heading upstairs.

As soon as she was out of earshot, I whispered, "Did you notice her hat?"

Lex giggled softly. "No Daniel, I'm blind. Of course I did."

I smiled into the top of her head. "I think it was pretty rad." I then turned my head and said, "How are you doing over there, Takato?"

"I'm great, actually." was my answer, and as I turned my head to look at the man and his digimon partner, he smirked. "Although I never thought Renamon, or rather Lexia, would go all soft on us."

I heard a soft growl escape from Lexia's lips as she shot back, "You're lucky I'm comfortable, or else you'd be bleeding right now."

The goggle-wearing man just rolled his eyes with a grin. "I'm just messing with you Lex." He then kicked off his shoes and placed his feet up on the stool in front of his chair. "In honesty, I think it's great. Unexpected, but great. I always knew you weren't just some hardass, Lex...I knew there was a girl somewhere inside of you."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult." Lexia responded in confusion.

"It's a compliment in this context." he responded quickly, then smiled. "And I know you won't believe me, but I actually missed you."

"You're right, I don't believe that." Lex replied with a smirk. "But thanks...I can say I missed you a little too."

I rolled my eyes and pushed the warm vixen off of me. "For fuck's sake, just hug already and get it over with...the amount of longing for it between you two is palpable." At my order, both parties chuckled nervously while Guilmon let out a bark of a laugh, but slowly, the Renamon and Takato did approach each other before slowly embracing...and sighing happily. I nodded and commented, "See, I told you. You two look so cute like that...I should take a picture."

"Do it and you're dead." Lex grumbled.

* * *

Our two new guests spent the next few hours getting settled in and cleaned up, which left Lex and I to train. It was going to be a rather lax day overall, so instead of the full training we normally did, we instead opted to spar for about three hours.

Much to my surprise, I now vastly overpowered her, which I hadn't known of before. That may have something to do with the fact that we hadn't had time to truly spar for a few months now, but with this one fight it became pretty apparent that I was much stronger than she was...

At least until she began using her digital strength.

Needless to say that her connection with the digital realm allowed her to become much more powerful than me, so much so that it took all of a few seconds for her to overpower and pin me in an armbar, causing me to tap out.

The vixen released me and I stood up, rubbing my elbow with a sigh. "Damn...I never thought you'd have to use your digital attunement against me just to win."

Lex came closer and looked me over for any injuries as she muttered, "To be honest, neither did I." After giving me a good once-over, she leveled her gaze with me. "How did you get so strong?"

"No clue." I responded with a shrug of my shoulders. "I mean my exposure to the digital realm probably has a lot to do with it, but beyond that, I'm unsure. I've been doing the same training you are."

"And yet you're stronger than me when we're both not using any digital attunement functions." Lex responded with a thoughtful expression. She then sighed. "Just tell me if you notice any more changes to your body or your moods. I want to keep an eye on this."

I nodded a little nervously. "Yeah, I don't want to wake up as a digimon one day...no offense."

"None taken." Lex replied with a warm smile. "I know that the subtle changes that have already happened have been interesting enough for you to cope with. I'd rather you be what you are as well, so it's also in my best interest to keep an eye on you in that respect."

"Cool," I answered with a smile, "then let's get inside and make dinner before I start growing a tail or something."

* * *

My partner and I quickly whipped up a light dinner of cottage pie and gravy, with warm rolls. To put it simply, I had a British friend named Jennie back in the States that made the meal for me one time...and I fell in love with it.

Thankfully, our guests' palates were rather open to new tastes, and enjoyed the meal greatly.

Rika had thankfully composed herself enough to enjoy the dinner I made, and after Takato and I shared a bottle of mead, dinner became quite a bit more sociable. We told jokes and laughed, shared some good stories, and even traded information about our respective worlds.

In essence, we had a great dinner.

As the night progressed, we all made our way to the family room (after cleaning up of course) to watch a movie that I believed everyone would like: Star Wars.

Thankfully, this time no one asked any questions as the movie progressed, so all of us nestled ourselves into comfort ‒ into chairs, or in Rika's case, into the lap of Lexia.

* * *

After about two hours, the movie ended, and as I carried a sleeping Rika to her room, I could still hear Guilmon and his tamer speaking excitedly downstairs about the movie, which made me smile.

As I made my way to the room, I whispered, "She really loves you Lex...still."

I heard the Renamon sigh happily from in front of me as she opened the door to the room. "And I still love her. I missed her so much...it's beyond amazing to be able to be with her again."

I set the sleeping girl onto the bed and smiled softly. "Well good, because I want you to be happy. It pained me for the longest time that you were stolen from her like you were." Lex sat down next to the sleeping woman and gently stroked her crimson hair lovingly, and I anticipated her wish as I said, "You can stay with her tonight if you really want to, Lexia."

The vixen looked up at me with pleading eyes and asked, "You really don't mind?"

I leaned down and kissed just between her ears and rubbed the spot gently. "Of course not." I turned and walked away, whispering, "I'll be just down the hall if you need me." She nodded once more as she lay beside the woman, so I closed the door behind me and made my way to my bed.

* * *

I was laying in my bed listening to music, simply relaxing as the tunes lulled me into a state of bliss. I had been doing it for hours now, even though my body refused to sleep, but I had learned to take what I could get, so I just enjoyed the quiet and gentle atmosphere.

I tapped my foot on the footboard of the bed and closed my eyes again, finally feeling sleep ready to overtake me.

But suddenly, I felt I was not alone.

"I thought she would never leave your side." growled a deep voice laced with power.

"Wha-?" was all I had time to say before a bright flash, a feeling of pain, and then utter darkness.


	13. Ch 13: Feral Keeper

**A/N: Howdy y'all! Frostbreaker is back with another great chapter for you loyal fans of the story. As always, please R&R and let me know what you think of it.**

**To Soulhavok - The cliffhanger will be resolved, so worry not. Read on, my friend.**

**To kn4sakura - Well, you'll see some more explanations of the relationships between characters, as well as a little surprise for you. Read on.**

**To callmeBaby'08 - Exactly, so enjoy the action. Shit's about to get real.**

**To wg12290 - Thanks. Enjoy the new chapter.**

******Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with any of the Digimon franchise. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Feral Keeper

**Renamon's PoV**

Many times in the past, when no one else was around, Rika would fall asleep in my lap, while I sat up and slept as well, my arms wrapped protectively around her. More than a simple act of guarding my tamer, it was in fact a response to the first real emotions that developed in me. When it first started, I didn't know _why_ exactly I did it. I had rationalized with myself that it was because there was danger all around and I needed to keep her close, or even that she was cold and I needed to keep her warm. Those were all lies to myself though. The truth was that at the first moment I held her, I realized that I had come to care for the brash redheaded girl.

I had come to care for a human.

When she and I first met, my loyalty to her was only because she could help me become stronger...had _promised_ to. I didn't care about her at all save for the fact that without a tamer, I could never reach my true potential. Bruises and wounds were immaterial, but I kept her from harm to show that I was worth her time, and so that she would trust me enough to be my tamer.

As time progressed, that changed.

It happened so suddenly, and to this day I _still_ couldn't place my finger on _when_ exactly things changed ‒ when _I_ changed ‒ but what I _did_ know was that I no longer cared for her simply as a way to increase my abilities and strength. True, that would always play a strong role in my life, but it now took a backseat to something else, something that at the time, I couldn't identify.

And then, the day I nearly died at the hands of Dokugumon, everything changed.

Tears...true regretful tears were cried for me by Rika. I was no longer just a "what" to her, I was a "who", and that change within both of us allowed me to attain the next level of power. That first time I digivolved, I felt it...her overwhelming care and affection for me. The fact that I would no longer be able to protect her if I died did not matter to her. It was the first time she was able to admit to both herself and me that she didn't want me to die because she would _miss _me. She cared for me as she would a dear friend, and for the first time, I could admit to myself that I also cared deeply for her.

She was my friend.

And then of course came the day that all the digimon were forced to leave Earth. To this day, the sheer emotion of the event brings tears to my eyes, but more than anything, the act that broke me the most was Rika's face that day. She _loved_ me...and I loved her. It was how we had biomerged to become Sakuyamon...that strong connection had allowed me to reach the highest level I could attain naturally. That connection also broke me in a way I never thought possible, though. When I found myself back in the digital plane without Rika, I was lost. Beyond no longer having a purpose in my life, I had lost my closest friend...my family.

It was wonderful beyond words to have her back now.

* * *

Much as we had in the past, I awoke to see Rika nestled against my chest, sleeping happily within my embrace, and even though she had grown a great deal in the time we had been apart, the position could not have felt more natural. My tamer she may no longer be, but a friend and my family she would be forever...and I realized that I missed this simple act more than I had cared to admit...

And this brought about a very disconcerting thought: had I simply been attempting to replace RIka with Daniel?

As I sat awake with the woman in my arms, I began to try and analyze my motivations to connect with Daniel as I had. True, I did not care for Rika romantically, but I could not deny the fact that when I had originally "met" Daniel, the emptiness that the loss of Rika had wrought upon me seemed to abate...and I relished the feeling of contentment. I suppose that was the problem then...I _did_ replace Rika in a way, though I didn't mean to. Save for when Daniel and I had actively spoke about Rika, I didn't even think about her most of the time anymore.

And for both counts, that made me feel horrible.

Did I _really_ care about Daniel as much as I thought I did? Could I even look Rika in the face knowing that I didn't think about her that much? For the first time in my life, I suddenly had no idea what to feel, or what to do. And so, I did the only thing I _could_ do...I held onto Rika as if letting go would make her disappear.

**Rika's PoV**

My eyes opened briefly to look at the ceiling of Daniel's guest room, but the warmth and comfort of the bed nearly lulled me back to sleep. I rubbed my face against the soft furry pillow and...

Wait...the pillow wasn't furry.

I opened my eyes again to see white fur, and as I turned my head, I saw two powerful yellow-furred arms, ending in razor-sharp, black claws. My confusion instantly abated as I smiled happily and turned my head up to look into Lexia's face. Neither of us spoke, instead, she simply tightened her hold on me, and I nestled my head into the mane-like fur of her chest.

For a long span of time, we just sat there quietly.

Finally, the Renamon shuffled a bit and released me, then went about smoothing down her fur as she gazed at me with a smile. "Good morning, Rika. Sleep well?"

I smiled as well and pulled my shirt down, which had ridden up over my head during the night. "Best sleep I've had in years."

Lexia smiled again and tossed my pack to me. "Clean yourself up and meet me downstairs for breakfast."

I raised my eyebrow and asked, "You're cooking?"

Lexia nodded. "I am. Daniel taught me to cook a great many things, but for now, I think I'll just keep things simple with something you and I ate back at your home."

"You're not preparing something traditional, are you? I don't want you to slave over a hot stove for an hour just to make breakfast." I commented with a smile.

Lexia shook her head as she pointed to the washroom down the hall. "No, I'll just make something Western-style for this morning. I'm sure Daniel will enjoy it too."

I grinned and nodded before heading to the washroom to groom and clean myself.

* * *

After dressing in my "heart" shirt and a simple pair of blue pants, I made my way to the downstairs to meet with everyone there, and was soon smiling at the familiar smell of spicy corn soup.

As I rounded the stairs and came upon the living room, I saw Lexia bringing a few bowls and a plate to the large dining room table, and watched as Takato and his partner greedily ate their food, which was no doubt provided by the Renamon.

I made my way to the set table, and raised my eyebrow with a smirk at the fox digimon. "Making breakfast for your friends? Wow...you're becoming even more like a housewife than I ever thought possible."

Lexia giggled and shook her head. "This is a special occasion, so I thought I could swallow my pride for once. You won't be catching me with a frilly apron on, cleaning a house."

The image made me giggle a bit, but she and I shared a wink of playfulness with each other as she sat down beside me. I looked at the small spread of spicy corn soup, a slice of toast, and a fried egg, and smiled at my former partner. "Wow...this looks and smells _really_ nice. How did you learn to cook like this?"

Lexia again giggled and sipped a bit of the breakfast tea she provided to us. "A lot of failed attempts. I in no way have a talent for this, but practice has made it so that I _can_ cook meals if I _have_ to. Luckily for all of us, normally Daniel puts meals together."

"So _he's_ the housewife then..." I commented, earning a smirk from the kitsune. I took a quick look around before noticing the tamer was nowhere to be seen. "Where _is_ he anyway?"

Lexia shrugged. "We usually go out for an early morning run, so my guess is that's what he's doing. He probably left us all here so that we could spend time getting reacquainted." She then looked up at the clock, and I looked to see that it was well after 08:00. I looked to the Renamon's face to find her frowning in worry, but when she saw me gazing at her, she smiled and shook her head. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."

I became a little concerned at her behavior, as worry was not something I was familiar with her displaying. Still, she knew Daniel far better than I did, and so I did not think it was important to get involved if she did not request help or comfort. Though her pride was a large part of who she was, I was confident that should she ever need me for anything, she trusted me enough to ask.

* * *

**Daniel's PoV**

I opened my eyes, only to instantly wince at a bright light being shined in my face. This in turn brought on a headache, which caused me to groan in pain. As I tried to reach up and rub my eyes, however, I found that my hands and feet were bound together...

Then I remembered what had happened.

"So, you're finally awake. You sure have a talent for sleeping through nearly anything." a deep, smug voice commented.

I cracked my eyes open once again, blinking a few times rapidly in an attempt to make my eyes adjust faster. "Who the hell are you, and where am I?"

"All your answers will come when I give them to you...and that time isn't right now." the voice responded with an audible chuckle. "For now, you'll just have to sit and wait until I'm feeling in a giving mood."

At this, I began to become frustrated, and lunged forward off of the table I was strapped to, along with a rather animalistic snap of my sharp teeth. I glared at the space within the room that the voice was coming from, and growled out, "What the fuck do you want with me, dickhead? I'm a Marine, so good luck getting information out of me."

Again, the person chuckled, and his shadow stepped in front of the bright light, though the glare was still too intense for me to see who it was. "I don't need _anything_ from you, actually. You're just the bait."

It took me a few seconds to work through what he must be getting at, and this caused me to bare my teeth in anger. "Lexia...you want Lexia."

"Is _that_ what you call her? Interesting." he replied thoughtfully. He then shuffled away, leaving the bright light in my eyes again. "Oh well, not that it matters." I then started laughing at this half-baked plan of his, causing him to walk up and punch me in the stomach angrily. "What are you laughing at?"

I caught my breath from having the wind knocked out of me and cleared my throat. "You're going to use _me_ to get to _her_...that's probably the worst plan I've ever heard of."

"And what makes you say that?" he asked with a noticeable amount of annoyance.

"Well," I began, shifting my hands behind my back as I began to work the rope against the blade I always kept on the inside of my belt, "there's two things you haven't considered. First of all, a hostage situation only works if the one you're using it against knows how to keep a cool head...and that's _not_ Lexia. She's going to kill you just for abducting me, whether you return me unharmed or not. If she finds a single scratch on me or if you're stupid enough to kill me, she's going to hunt you down and make you suffer. Secondly, if you were to give even a single hint as to who you are or where we are, she'd find this place...and she'd kill you." I felt as the rope went slack around my wrists, meaning that the blade had done its work, so I quickly and discreetly unraveled the bindings from my wrists. "And third..."

"I thought you said there was only two things." he replied with confusion.

I smirked and shrugged. "I lied." I then then leapt up and prepared to smash his face in, only for a strong force to slam me back down at the table.

I heard him chuckle as he took a steel cable and quickly wrapped it around the table and my body. "Well, I'll reveal some points that _you_ haven't taken into consideration. First of all, I don't know _what_ makes you think I wouldn't be prepared for a little escape attempt like that. Second, I know exactly how powerful that Renamon is, and I'm more than able to destroy her when she gets here. And third...I _want_ her to come here. I'm not hiding, in fact I left a purposefully clear trail right to us. The idea is that she's going to come here in a rage, with no idea what she's up against...and is going to be destroyed and absorbed by me." He then turned off the bright floodlight and turned on a light overhead, allowing me to see him. "And then there'll be no one to stop me from making this little world my own."

He was a tall humanoid-looking..._thing_...with a black and red cape, a violet suit, and black boots with skulls on them. He wore a weird red masquerade mask that had little wings on it, and his long arms ended in black, clawed hands.

I looked up at him as cuts on my chest and stomach started to bleed, and took a deep breath. "What the fuck are you?"

"Myotismon." he responded proudly. "The undead digimon ruler, and future ruler of this entire realm." He then placed a clawed hand on his gray lips and frowned. "It's a pity you won't be around to see that, but sacrifices must be made, I suppose."

I sighed and lowered my head to the table, unable to do much at the moment.

"Fuck me..."

* * *

**Lexia's PoV**

"Lex, stop pacing...you're making me anxious." Rika stated with annoyance.

I looked to her and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry...I'm just worried is all. He's never been gone this long."

Takato nodded from his place of the wall he was leaning against. "Rika's right though, sitting here worrying isn't going to do any good. You're just going to stress yourself out, and it's not going to bring him back any faster."

I sighed and nodded. "You're right...I'm sorry."

I felt as Guilmon's large clawed hand rested on my shoulder from behind, and I turned to see his pale gold eyes looking at me with worry. "Come on, Lexiamon...I'll help you look for him." He then turned to the two humans with us and pointed to the ground. "You two stay here...it's going to be too dangerous outside of the city, so if we have to leave, wait for us."

"Are you sure, boy?" Takato asked with concern.

The dragon-like digimon nodded with a smile. "Yep. We'll find Danielmon wherever he is, and bring him back."

I nodded as well and turned to Guilmon. "Come...let us check his room first. We may find a clue as to where he went."

The two of us made our way to the second floor, but as soon as the door to the room opened, I realized something was very wrong.

"Someone else was in here." Guilmon growled.

I nodded and stepped over to the bed, my eyes widening when I noticed spots of blood upon the white sheets. I ran my thumb worriedly over the blood spots, and then turned to the digimon beside me. "Guilmon, can you follow the scent?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yep." He began sniffing the air before heading downstairs, with me following him.

"Any luck?" Takato questioned.

I placed my paw upon Guilmon's shoulder to stop him before sighing and shaking my head. "No...but we think someone might have taken him." I then pointed to the two humans and gestured for them to follow. "On second thought, we could use your help."

I noticed that Rika looked a bit worried. "But I'm not going to be much good, Lexia. You're not my partner, so my D-Power can't help you."

I shook my head with a smile. "You're right, but I think I know someone that might help us if I ask."

* * *

An hour later, we were still scouring the town, looking for a particular denizen. Unfortunately, she was not where she would normally be, but then again, it was also not the day she would normally be here.

"Lexiamon, I got something!" Guilmon shouted.

The other three of us followed him to a spot between buildings, where he was crouched over what looked like a small, white feline.

"Gatomon?" I asked curiously.

The small digimon stirred before opening her eyes and instantly jumping away in shock, but then she relaxed as she realized who we were. "Oh...you two scared me." She then looked past us with a raised eyebrow. "Who are they?"

I smiled and gestured to the two humans, who were panting with the running they were forced to do. "This is Takato Matsuki, Guilmon's tamer. And this is Rika Nonaka, my former tamer." I then turned my eyes back to the small feline with a raised eyebrow. "Why are you sleeping all alone out here, Gatomon?"

The white feline looked up at me and answered, "I always sleep out here. It's not like I have anywhere else to go, and I'm _certainly_ not going to leave the town on my own."

I would address her living arrangements later, but for now more important things were at hand. "Gatomon...Daniel is gone. We think he's been abducted."

Instantly the white cat brought a paw to her mouth as she gasped in shock and worry. "Oh no...from outside the town or inside?"

"From his own bedroom, and Guilmon and I were none the wiser." I answered worriedly, the possible outcomes beginning to panic me.

Gatomon placed a claw on her lip in worry. "This is bad...there are only a few digimon in this world that are strong enough and quick enough to get in the house, deal with Daniel, and get out without any of you noticing until now."

The implications hit me, and my worry skyrocketed. I had to fight to keep from panicking, and turned to Guilmon with worry clearly etched on my face. "Guilmon, can you follow the scent?"

The red digimon led us back to the main square before sniffing the air a few times, then gesturing to us as he walked away. "This way. It's not very strong, so the abducker came this way awhile ago."

"Abductor." I corrected with a roll of my eyes.

"Whatever." Guilmon replied annoyedly, his worry for Daniel clearly affecting his character.

* * *

Another hour later, we were within the forest to the south of town, and its familiarity was bolstered further by the familiar house that was concealed by the hill near the beach. What worried me the most was the fact that we were no longer protected by the barrier around the town...which meant that by where Guilmon's senses were leading us, neither was Daniel.

Gatomon had taken to riding on my shoulder, her large ears twitching and turning at every sound, keeping wary of any would-be ambushes.

Finally Guilmon stopped, after walking in circles for a few minutes, and pointed to Daniel's previous home. "It's there."

"Are you positive?" I asked in confusion, finding it ironic that the old home would be the place we would be led to.

The red digimon nodded. "I checked over and over again just to be sure. The trail leads right there."

Rika began to walk to the house, brash as always, but I stopped her with a paw to her chest while shaking my head. "No...I don't like this. It's too simple."

"How do you figure?" Takato finally spoke up.

I began glancing around the area, hoping to find we were being watched or something. "One of the things Daniel taught me in addition to his hand-to-hand fighting styles was battle tactics. Right now, I can nearly guarantee that if we entered the house, we would be walking into an ambush of some sort. Whoever took Daniel _knew_ I would come after him."

Rika bobbed her head as she thought, then nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. So what do you propose we do then?"

I thought for a moment before an idea hit me, and I motioned for the four to stay put as I gently placed Gatomon on the ground. "Wait here. I need to head to the Proxi really quick, and then I'll be back with some help."

**Rika's PoV**

As Lexia bounded away in a yellow blur, I shouted, "Wait! What kind of help?" It was clear she didn't hear me as she continued speeding away, leaving me to wonder what she had up her sleeve.

Takato simply shrugged before he pointed to a small alcove next to us. "Come on, we'll wait there. It's out of the way so that no one can see us."

I nodded and followed him to the sheltered area, then sat down on a rather large stone on the ground, while Guilmon and his tamer flopped rather forcefully onto the sand. Gatomon, on the other hand, decided to jump up into my lap...which I honestly didn't mind.

The little feline then looked up at me with worry. "Do you think Daniel's okay?"

The thought brought me back to the severity of the situation, and I just sighed as I closed my eyes and leaned against the rock wall. "Honestly, I don't know Gatomon. I hope so, but I don't know."

"Well then, we have to make _sure_ he'll be okay." Guilmon stated in an oddly serious manner, and his tamer nodded as well.

* * *

After what felt like hours, a certain yellow fox digimon returned...followed by nearly a hundred of those "avatar" things.

Lexia seemed oddly unconcerned, and just pointed to the house and motioned for them to begin entering, which they did.

I walked over to my friend and asked, "How did you convince them all to become your little army?"

She grinned. "I just told them that there's a rescue mission raid that they're needed for, with a really rare digimon to conquer. They all agreed without a second thought."

I chuckled a bit as I watched the hapless digital simulations enter the house. "Idiots. Although I guess the fact that they can't really die probably removes their fear of the matter."

"Exactly. Think of them like cannon fodder, but without the real casualties." Lexia confirmed.

All of the sudden, the house began to shake with the sounds of slamming, shouting, and roaring.

I started to inch forward, but the Renamon held me back with a paw as she smiled. "It's okay, Rika. So far, it's going exactly like I planned."

Suddenly the house itself began to shake, and the three digimon dragged Takato and I around the hill just in time for the house itself to explode violently. After the debris fell, the five of us peeked around to see nothing but the foundation standing, save for a few random wooden beams here or there.

* * *

**Daniel's PoV**

I sighed and closed my eyes as I leaned back against the metal table. "Man...I _just_ paid off that house before I got here too. What a waste." My grumbling was interrupted as the grating that led from the basement to outside was torn apart, and a familiar white feline squeezed in. "Gatomon!"

"Shhh!" she shushed. She then bounded up onto my chest and began pulling at the thick steel cables that kept me tied down, but after a few moments grunted and pouted. "Ugh...I can't get them off."

I shook my head with a grimace. "It's fine, worry about me later. Right now Lexia and the others are probably having to deal with Myotismon on their own. Get out there!"

Gatomon looked conflicted, but after a moment she nodded with a smile. "Don't worry Daniel, we'll defeat Myotismon and be back to get you out!" I nodded at her as I beckoned her to leave, and she did so shortly thereafter, leaving me alone in the basement again.

With nothing to do, I began counting the number of individual bricks in the basement walls.

* * *

**Lexia's PoV**

"You've made a grave mistake here, pitiful insects." Myotismon commented smugly.

I grinned as well before turning to Rika and asking, "You still need a reliable partner, don't you?"

Rika stared at me for a moment before shrugging. "I...guess."

I pointed to the small champion-level cat digimon approaching. "Well, you'd be hard-pressed to find better than her."

The girl thought for only a moment before unclipping the D-Power device and holding it out to the running digimon, who skidded to a stop and raised a paw, placing it on the device. The digivice instantly changed from blue upon white, to white upon violet in color. A bright glow enveloped both of them, and a moment later the two looked at each other as the light ebbed away, leaving each smiling at the other.

"I hate to break this up, but we're in the middle of something here!" Takato shouted as he turned to Guilmon and held up his D-Power, which began glowing brightly as the digimon began to change to his champion form.

The five of us then took our places in front of the waiting Myotismon, who simply chuckled maniacally in return. "You truly believe you are a match for me? You _must_ be joking."

I took a stance and prepared for his attack, which came a second later as he materialized a long stream of red energy, which he began to brandish as a whip somehow. The large whip of energy began to slash around, keeping all of us at bay and forcing we three fighting digimon to keep dodging instead of attacking. It was at that time I realized exactly how much good my training with Daniel had done. My stamina was _much_ higher, my agility had improved vastly as well, and my reflexes were near-instantaneous.

The augmented power of Growlmon and Gatomon added to our shared advantage, allowing all of us to deftly dodge the whip's attacks, and even the occasional Nightmare Wave attack from Myotismon. The only problem was that he was attacking and recovering so quickly, we had no chance to counter, and considering just how powerful Myotismon was, it was very likely the three of us would tire long before he did...and then we would be vulnerable to deletion from him.

We needed to think of something...and fast.

"Growlmon, no!" I heard Takato shout in fear, and I looked to see the large reptilian hit the ground with a rather large cut on his side. This worried me, as without his help, I was unsure how Gatomon and I were going to overcome this. Luckily, Myotismon's attention was no longer focused on the downed digimon, and he instead turned his gaze to me.

"Ah, little foxy. It is such a shame that you choose to fight instead of submit. The data has such a..._spoiled_ taste when the defeated digimon fights." our enemy commented smugly before lashing out at me with his whip.

I couldn't help as a rather large growl escaped my throat, along with a snarl of anger. "You will suffer for this, Myotismon. I will make _sure_ of that."

The vampire-like Ultimate sighed before smacking the attacking Gatomon away and rushing at me with unbelievable speed, grabbing me by the throat. "I had hoped this would prove more entertaining than it has, but I am done playing around." I was unable to respond as he closed off my airway, and moments later, my vision went black.

* * *

**Daniel's PoV**

"One thousand forty-two, one thousand forty-three, one thousand-"

My counting was interrupted when I heard heavy steps coming down to the basement, and what I saw next caused me to begin sweating in worry.

Myotismon had made his way to me again...but in his grip was an unconscious Lexia.

He unceremoniously dropped her on the ground in front of me, and as she began to come to, he bound her wrists and ankles in a glowing red stream of energy, immobilizing her.

Lexia's eyes rolled around a few times as she gained her bearings, but when she saw me, she smiled happily. "Dan-"

Her call to me was interrupted rudely when the bastard slapped her across the face, hard enough knock her down. I knew by now just how hardy Lexia was, but this didn't prevent me from growling threateningly in the smug fuck's direction.

He simply yanked Lex up to a kneeling position again before embedding his claws in her shoulder, causing my partner to hiss in pain. He then looked to me with a grin. "Oh I'm sorry, do you not like that? Perhaps you want her to scream instead." His claws dug even deeper into Lexia's shoulder, but she only hissed again with a quick intake of air through gritted teeth. He then leaned down to her ear and whispered something.

Through her firmly set jaw, she growled, "Fuck you..."

Finally he had apparently had enough of her attitude, because his claws pressed even harder, finally breaching the skin with a spurt of blood, and I heard and saw a bone snap through the skin.

At this, my ever-strong Lexia finally gave in and screamed in agony.

"_That's_ better. I knew you could do it." Myotismon praised sadistically.

I glared at the smug digimon and growled. "I'm gonna rip your fucking spine out, you sick fuck." Even though in the back of my mind I knew the cables would hold fast, my primal mind began to take hold in rage, and I began to thrash against my will.

Myotismon didn't respond, and simply kicked the fox face first on the ground, causing her to again scream as her exposed bone connected with the ground. He then planted his boot on Lexia's back and smirked at me. "Now, I'm going to make you watch as I slowly torture your lovely partner until she cannot take it anymore, and her data breaks apart. Then I'm going to absorb her data. Lastly, simply because I'm in a giving mood, I will kill you."

I heard all these words, but at the time I couldn't process them. My mind had become overcome with feral rage and aggression, and all that was on my mind was killing this motherfucker, tearing him limb from limb, and painting the area with his blood. As I laid flat on the steel table, looking to my left at Lexia, I saw her face...

She was crying.

Not because of the pain, but because of me...because of true sadness. All of this was added to the mere wrong-factor of how helpless she looked, and the earlier screams of agony I had been forced to endure.

I broke...

**Lexia's PoV**

The pain was near unbearable, and even though my body wanted me to faint, I could not. I had to be strong for Daniel...and for the others. I would _not_ let Daniel's last memory of me be of a beaten, unconscious Renamon. He loved me even in my moments of weakness...but I could not allow this. If this were to be the end, I would leave this realm of reality proudly, knowing that in the last moments, we did not submit.

My thoughts on this matter were interrupted by the sound of the steel table thrashing around on the ground, followed by loud feral roars of rage coming from Daniel.

I looked to my tamer, and did not recognize him at first. The steel cabling that was holding him in place was stressed to the breaking point as his musculature profile increased, and kept increasing dramatically. The blood vessels in his exposed arms were very visible, and I could almost _taste_ the blood as it rapidly flowed through him. Lastly, his beautiful eyes were no longer visible, and were instead a solid, bloodshot white.

*SNAP*

One of the steel cables exploded under the strain, and it fell to the ground in a frayed mess.

*SNAP* *SNAP*

Two more cables gave way, and Daniel's clawed hand...

Wait, clawed?

The very large clawed hand of what used to be my tamer gripped the steel worktable tightly, causing it to dent and twist under the frightfully strong grasp, and I felt as the boot that was pinning me was removed.

"What in the name of Fanglongmon _are_ you?" I heard our enemy whisper in what could only be worry.

I was unable to move with my injury and the strange energy immobilizing me, but the next sight I was treated to was a large, furred, clawed foot, with shaggy blonde fur, and five black claws. Another joined it, as the white sock around it split, and the twisted steel table creaked as a great weight pushed off of it.

A deep, guttural growl, akin to that of a large feline, rumbled through the basement of Daniel's old home. I then felt as I was gently, yet deftly lifted off of the ground and was set on what used to be a steel workbench table, and the restraints keeping me bound were torn off in one deft motion, allowing me to finally look up at my savior.

I knew it was Daniel, and yet he was _very_ different. The dark blonde fur covered his entire body, and he now stood four inches taller than usual. His rather flat face was now outfitted with a large muzzle full of large, sharp teeth, and his eyes had changed from hazel to yellow. A rather large mane of dark brown fur replaced his hair, and all of his clothing had been torn to ribbons, save for his pants (which he always wore loose), though the belt was broken. The many tattoos he had upon him were still visible as different-colored fur, and even his scars still showed.

He eyed me with worry, and though he did not speak, I knew what his eyes asked me.

I smiled painfully, but smiled nonetheless. "I'll be okay."

He sniffed me a few times before nodding slowly and turning around to our captor, who was now backed up against the wall in what could only be fear.

"N-no...this isn't possible. You're just a human!" Myotismon shouted.

I then watched as Daniel closed his eyes and brought his D-Power device up in his hand, and he gently nuzzled my cheek as a comfortable warmth spread throughout my body.

* * *

**Rika's PoV**

I was gently petting Gatomon's unconscious body as we waited for something..._anything_ to happen. I had long ago cried myself dry, as hope waned and I believed this would be the end of Lexia. I was never one for hopelessness, but the situation was dire...and there was nothing we could do.

"Rika..." whispered Takato from beside me.

I looked over to see my best friend gently stroking the ear flaps of his partner, and without looking he handed a glowing blue card to me.

I held it up and noticed the strange marks upon it. "What is it?"

"A Matrix Digivolution card. Use it wisely, Rika...it takes _forever_ to recharge." he explained.

Without waiting a moment longer, I gently nudged Gatomon until her eyes opened slowly. She blinked a few times before jumping up in shock. "W-what happened? Where's Lexia? Is Daniel okay?"

I sighed and shook my head. "I don't know..." I then held up the card with a soft smile, "but we can help them now."

Gatomon smiled a toothy grin before nodding. "Now you're talking!"

We were stopped from doing anything more as a strange ringing chime sound wafted through the air, and as we watched, the foundation of the house erupted with ribbons of light flowing out of it, shooting into the air.

After a few seconds, the light faded, but was followed by loud rumbling that seemed to be coming from underground.

"What the hell is that noise?" Takato questioned, seemingly to the air itself.

I shook my head as I stood and backed away, with Gatomon following warily. "I'm not sure, but something tells me we-"

I was cut off as a loud explosion shattered the solid concrete foundation, which preceded a shape flying out of it before slamming into the wall. When the dust cleared, the shape was found to be a weary-looking Myotismon.

But then who...?

My question was answered when two shapes jumped out of the wreckage of the house, one I recognized and one I did not. Taomon was no doubt the digivolved form of Lexia...but the other was a digimon I didn't recognize. It looked a little like a Leomon, but with different-colored fur, taller, and with different-colored pants. He also had fur covering his entire body, and the feet and hands were smaller...and he lacked those strange handguards.

The markings all over his body were what gave him away, though.

"Daniel?!" I exclaimed in shock.

**Lexia's PoV**

I sighed and motioned to our still threatening enemy, who was recovering quickly. "Explanation later, fight now!"

"Right!" Rika replied sheepishly. She then held up her D-Power device and swiped a glowing blue card. I then watched as Gatomon was encased in a strange orb of energy, and the orb grew until it dissipated, revealing the ultimate form of Gatomon, Angewomon.

With another Ultimate on our side, I was feeling quite a bit more optimistic about the situation, and then pointed to the stone wall that Myotismon was climbing out of. "Take him down!"

I extended my long sleeves and drew my brush before drawing an Aum symbol in the air, which created an aegis to protect me and Daniel from whatever Myotismon could throw at us.

After all, _I_ would survive a blast from him...Daniel may not.

Angewomon charged in with her bow drawn back, releasing a hail of holy arrows upon our target, and while many were dodged, one of the shots hit, nailing him to the stone wall behind him. Myotismon's once-frightful power was now as nothing before the holy angel digimon, and his eyes grew wide with fear as she approached. I followed with Daniel, until the three of us were standing in front of the once-great enemy.

Angewomon knocked an arrow in her bow and drew it back, the bowstring pulled taut as she aimed directly at Myotismon's forehead. "You hurt my friends, monster. _No one_ hurts my friends. Any last words?" Myotismon began to speak, but she released the arrow, which burst into holy light as it struck him...and he disintegrated into data from the blast.

Daniel eyed Angewomon curiously, but said nothing.

The angel looked back at us and smirked. "What? You can't tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing." A bright light then enveloped her, and her form shrank to her common form, that of Gatomon. When the light fell away, she sighed and slumped a bit. "Wow...that takes a lot out of me."

I too felt as my ultimate form drained my energy, and because it was no longer needed, I relaxed and let the power flow away from me as I closed my eyes. A few seconds later, I was back in my normal body, and Rika nearly tackled me to the ground in a hug as she wept pitifully.

After a few seconds of sobbing, Rika simply buried her face in my chest and cried silently, but not before raising her finger to point at Takato, who was standing beside her. "Not a word, goggle-head."

* * *

Many minutes later, the woman finally released me, and we all stared at Daniel worriedly.

The lion-esque man looked at us pleadingly, as if asking something. He then pointed to me, made a gesture of something being big and becoming smaller, then raised his hands with a shrug. After a moment, I understood his question.

"Oh...umm, well you just have to relax and allow the energy to seep out of you naturally. Don't force it and don't try and hold onto it or the process won't work." I explained.

Daniel nodded a few times before sighing (which was more of a growl) and closing his eyes. It took a few minutes of complete silence and relaxed breathing on his part, but eventually a digital grid covered his form, and light flashed that nearly blinded me...but luckily when I looked again, it was to see Daniel standing before me.

Or, at least he _was_ standing.

The fatigue caught up with him, and he fell forward onto his hands and knees, sweating and panting wildly. "Fuck me, that was a rush." I reached down and pulled him to his feet, though he was forced to lean heavily on me as he did so. "What the hell happened to me?"

"You digivolved." I answered in realization, and thus, shock. "But only digimon are supposed to be able to digivolve."

**Daniel's PoV**

I thought about Lexia's statement for a moment before answering, "Well maybe it has something to do with my exposure to this world. You said it changed me, so I guess that must be part of it." Again, my knees nearly buckled as I stood, so I wearily turned to the group with a weak smile. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I could use a hot shower, food, and a good sleep."

Rika nodded with a sigh. "Yeah. I didn't fight, but this day has stressed me out enough for a lifetime." She then looked to Lex and smiled. "Lead the way."

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a blur for me, as my exhaustion made the world as a whole fuzzy, which made it hard to follow. I only remembered Lexia helping me wash and dress, and then I was suddenly at the dining room table, with a tasty meal in front of me. I didn't even remember eating it, I just remember that my next consciousness state was when I was laying in bed with Lex next to me, and my belly full of food.

Lex was sensually running her claws over my bare chest and stomach, taking care to avoid the new wounds inflicted by Myotismon.

I then turned to her with a raised eyebrow and asked, "Not that I'm complaining, but why aren't _you_ still injured?"

Lex giggled and pressed her paw to her shoulder. "Digimon heal instantaneously upon digivolving. It appears that is not an ability you possess, however."

I sighed and turned my head away from her. "The world was so weird. It was like I didn't see the world in normal color...instead, I saw it in shades of rage. It was kinda like a dream where everything's muddled but what's important and relevant."

"And what was important to you?" Lexia asked with a loving smile, though we both knew she already knew...she just wanted me to say it.

I smiled as I gently cupped her cheek and brought my lips to hers in a passionate kiss, our tongues tracing each other's canines and wrestling. After a few seconds of this, I pulled away with a dreamy smile and replied, "You...you were all that mattered." I then swallowed and explained, "It hurt...it hurt so much when it happened."

Lex nodded. "It _looked_ like it hurt. I mean, a digivolution is the only explanation for what happened to you, but I've never seen it happen that slowly before...or in that great of detail."

I looked into her ice-blue eyes and smiled. "The pain didn't matter though. All that mattered to me was you...your safety. When I was watching what he was doing to you, I saw as you started to cry." I gulped as I remembered that moment. "Something just...broke. I don't really remember anything clearly after that, other than you. The rest of the world was hazy and blurred."

"Your primal brain reacts to intense emotions, namely anger. Your rational mind took a backseat when you digivolved, and only your instincts drove you." she explained plainly. "It's something that can happen to any digimon that is truly in touch with their emotions if they do not channel them correctly." She then stopped her caressing as she pressed herself up and laid on top of me. "Now that we know what can happen, you have to be more careful."

I registered her warning, but the warmth of her body and the softness of her fur was already lulling me to sleep, and I barely had time to kiss her cheek before I fell asleep, becoming dead to the world.


End file.
